A Will made of Iron
by Yasumin J
Summary: Seven-year-old Sakura was a smart and a sharp girl who wanted to be classified as a "flee-on-sight" in the bingo book like Namikaze Minato. AU! No Uchiha massacre
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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"Chakra exhaustion is a state of total burn-out of a ninja's chakra reserves. Being in this situation is extremely risky, especially if you are on a solo mission or if your teammates have been eliminated…"

In the air ducts, removing her chakra to the point where you can no longer feel her - at least, if you didn't concentrate very hard - as she had learnt to do very recently, Sakura took notes religiously of the fifth-year teacher's explanations.

She wondered _why _Mizuki-sensei was _not_ teaching them about _chakra exhaustion_, and why they didn't practice on chakra _yet!_

No. She was being dishonest. She knew exactly why, but they'd already been at the academy for half a year already and she was just dying to be able to test chakra. Properly. Not the bastardized version she was using herself, even though she was terribly proud of it. Apparently, according to Mizuki-sensei, if they started practicing their chakra right _now_, while their spiritual energy and their physical energy were not sufficiently balanced, especially for civilians, then they could possibly be _crippled_ because of it. It was all a question of _balance. _

The first use of chakra was essential. The chakra coils could not be able to withstand a too high flow of chakra in one side and would _burn out. _Chakra coils were like an elastic muscle. The first use was always the most tricky and unless your control over your chakra was perfect or close to 95 percent, it was impossible not to damage them. So they trained the physical energy and the spiritual one everyday. Especially spiritual energy, since the physical energy was always being built up. When you walk, you fill your physical energy. Even if it's a little bit.

The goal was to have some semblance of balance. Physical energy, for example, should not outclass spiritual energy, but it was no big deal if there were just a slightly more.

The clan children did not really have this problem because they worked unconsciously every day. Meditation, chakra research, physical training. While most of the children of civilians who did not have parents who became shinobi did not have this luxury.

Sakura had shivered when Mizuki-sensei had told them about those few people who had tried to use their chakra too early and had found themselves with significant internal bleeding. Some had died while others could never use their chakras again. Others had even become disabled.

But it was getting just boring to just study theory….

Don't get her wrong, she _loved _theory, and she was more at ease with it, she even _excelled_ at it, but Sakura knew that she needed _more_ than theory to be an excellent shinobi. And she needed to be an excellent shinobi, she couldn't be less. She had no choice in fact. Only the strong ones, those who can made a difference in the battle field, survive.

In her class, there was Yamanaka, Nara, Inuzuka, Uchiha, Akimichi, Aburame, Hyûga and Uzumaki. The latter being the son of the _Fourth Hokage_ and an _Uzumaki_, the extinct clan who'd been masters at _fuinjutsu._ The former being the _heir _of their clan. She was of course talking about Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Chôji, Aburame Shino, and Hyûga Hinata. Apart from Uchiha Sasuke who was the second son of the clan head. Uchiha Itachi, his older brother, was the one who would take the succession of the prestigious clan. Unless he died. Then, the position would be inherited by Uchiha Sasuke. At least, she had read it in _Explanations of the general functioning of clans._

(Sakura didn't think that Uchiha Itachi would die this easily. He was, after all, a renowned prodigy, being a genin at seven and a chunin at _ten_. She didn't have any more information about him, though.)

There was naturally some other people from those clans in her year, but not too much. In fact, there was just three Uchihas in her class and Uchiha Sasuke rarely talked to them. They were the ones who would talk to him.

And from what she had been able to gather by pretexting a few questions to ask Mizuki-sensei on the way to the teachers' room - the chûnin didn't really pay attention to a small seven-year-old shinobi in training - she knew that the constitution of her class was something rare. There was a particular concentration of future clan leaders, thus making her class one of the best of the bests. This class would graduate, this class was an elite, this class would be successful.

"…in case of chakra exhaustion, what solutions could you think about?"

Sakura began to write down, her mind buzzing with ideas, answers, lots of things, as usual. She couldn't not think about several things at the same time.

_There isn't much solutions in case of chakra exhaustion. I couldn't think of any solutions anyway. So, I think we should be prioritizing the mission and the potential information we wield. _

Sakura waited for the answer, eyebrows frowned by the concentration. She realized that she was gently tapping her lower lip with her pencil and stopped immediately. She couldn't afford to have tics or make any noises while on _mission_. Umeno-sensei was a _chûnin, _yes she knew how to suppress her chakra thanks to her chakra control that she worked on every single day._ But_ it was because he was _not _paying attention on his surroundings. True, it seemed very lame for a ninja to not do so, but he was not actually paying attention to _chakra._

(She'd discovered that she had no difficulties at all at manipulating her chakra at a very young age when she'd attempt to stick her hand on the wall in an effort to mimic a ninja – a man with a creepy green suit- she'd once seen walking on his hands _on water_. That was why she hadn't understood Mizuki-sensei's warning about the use of chakra...and when she had connected the links... well, she happens to have a chakra control of at least 95 percent, if not perfect.)

If he tried very hard to find a chakra signature, he could very likely sense hers, but very _weakly_. It was a fact that she didn't like at all. Sakura didn't want to be spotted. Being spotted meant _failure_. Failure in real life situation meant _death_. Death meant that you wouldn't be able to _complete_ your mission. Sakura wanted neither failure, nor death nor being unable to complete a mission. How could she make a name of herself if she died or if she couldn't even be still? Couldn't even avoid being spotted by Umeno-sensei who was not even trying to search for a potential intruder?

It was not a joke, Sakura, she scolded herself.

It was not a joke, because her comrades, they all have something, something great to use in a fight. A Kekkei Genkai. A clan training. Natural talent. All at the same time. They would not die in the field the first moment. They would survive. And they would be great.

Not like civilians who aspire to become ninja and eventually ended up as a _cannon fodder._

And there was her, Haruno Sakura, a nobody in the great schemes of thing. Some civilian wannabe shinobi with no Kekkei Genkai, just the daughter of two merchants. She loved her parents, they were the best, they didn't yell at her when she said she wanted to be a shinobi like Yume's parents did. They had even forbidden her to become one.

She was still remembering Yume's sobbing voice and red face. _"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I won't be able to be a ninja like you. I'm sorry. I…I think it's not for me"_ and secretly she agreed with her.

A ninja would_ never_ back down, Sakura would've never backed down from being a shinobi, it was her dream and she had a will made of _steel._

Fortunately, her parents just asked her if it was really what she wanted in a serious and mature ton as she'd exposed her reasons. That was what she liked about her parents, they didn't treat her like a little girl who understood nothing.

Her hero was Namikaze Minato, he became Hokage at the young age of twenty-four-year-old while some at this age were trying to become jounin or were_ just_ chûnin, and those people were generally a part of _clan_ or with a shinobi's parents in their background. The luckiest were trained by powerful people, which was the case with the fourth Hokage. His sensei was Jiraiya of the Sannin. However, he had achieved the best results in the Academy's history alongside with Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. And even more, he had a ton of high-ranking missions under his sleeve and a reputation as a "flee-on sight" in the bingo book. _How cool it was?_

Namikaze Minato had made a name for himself in the history of shinobi from scratch and with his own bare hands and she_ admired_ him for it and Haruno Sakura would do the _same._ She _refused _to be hidden by all the important figures in her classroom. She would be part of the elite who will graduate from the academy, she would be an excellent ninja, like him, she would be a legend, her name would be written in the history books.

Ami could laugh at her all she wanted but she was no better than her. But Sakura knew _something._ Even without a clan. Even without a big chakra reserve, she had two things. Two little small things who made her, _her_. Her chakra control was on point, and she was determinate to let it evolve to the point it would be perfect. And she was _smart._ She was outclassing _Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Setsuka_ in written exam. She was the best of her class.

(Though she was not sure about Nara Shikamaru…he had this sharpness underneath this lazy attitude. It was only a supposition, because Sakura _couldn't _help but _catch_ things, she was _sharp_, but Nara Shikamaru…he was _too smart._)

But she knew it was not enough. She needed to be physically in an excellent shape. The taïjutsu spar at the Academy was a good way to measure her abilities against others, but girls were always against girls and boys always against boys, which she found completely _stupid._ In real situation, the enemy wouldn't care if you were a boy or a girl.

She wanted to be the shadow of the shadow. The kage of the Kage. Like wind she wanted to shape herself as a something -someone- quiet, invisible, essential, vital. But also fiercely deadly, sharp on the edge like a kunai and ferociously lethal, as a real storm, a catastrophe that leaves nothing in its path. She wanted to be untouchable, she wanted to walk on clouds, lift mountains with the sole force of her muscles and juggle with fireballs with her _bare hands._ She wanted her name to be luminous, bright, like an intense sun that would make you _blind_. She wanted it to be too powerful to be pronounced, so powerful that whoever heard it will become _deaf._

The teacher voice was light and gently strong and snapped her from her deep thoughts. She scowled at herself for not paying attention and resolved herself to listen more attentively, "Yes, Kagami-kun?"

" Military ration pills are generally used to boost chakra…"

Sakura twitched. _Millitary ration pills?_ She wrote it on her notebook very meticulously and pointed it out twice, indicating that it was an important information that she should go to the library to check for. Sakura must know absolutely everything about Military ration pills. She didn't like not having a general understanding of her future carrier.

She bit her lower lip, forcing herself to be still, the position was being unconformable, but what kind of shinobi she would be if she couldn't be motionless for two hours and correctly collect information?

_Concentrate, Sakura, concentrate. _

"…they allowed the user to keep fighting for three days and three nights."

Sakura opened her eyes wide. _Three days and three nights?!_

"Very good," the teacher voice was laced with an edge of satisfaction, " however, could someone tell me what are the side effects?"

Side effects…of course, something this cheated couldn't be without bad effects. Three days and three nights? Just…wow.

A silence, then Umeno-sensei pointed someone, "Kagami-kun."

The same boy answered, voice calm, firm and light, "The shinobi who would use those military ration pills would be brought to the point of complete and utter exhaustion."

"Exactly. Chakra exhaustion is one of the most dangerous and disabling situation for a shinobi."

She heard a chalk slipping fluidly on the surface of a blackboard and moved slightly to find a better position. Her legs were starting to hurt her and she bit her lip, again, she'd been trying to ignore the pain for thirty minutes now, but she was starting to really feel it.

The air duct was not the most comfortable place in the world, really, but it'd taken her one month to be able to obtain a concrete plan of the academy, or more precisely of the rooms that interested her. That is, the teachers' room, the fifth-grade class and the different escape paths, one of which led to the roof. The air ducts, _concretely,_ took her everywhere in the Academy but she had to memorize the layout of the room, so that if she wanted to go to the room, she could quickly escape without getting caught. It would make an excellent stealth training for her. She was a paper ninja after all. She _liked_ to plan.

It had taken her one month to locate the few surveillance cameras that were scattered throughout the Academy. There was one at the entrance and one in the teachers' room. She had spotted a few, two or three if we wanted to be specific in certain hallway corners. It took her a whole week to find all the dead spots to avoid cameras. She had even thought about trying to find out where the control centre was, but she retracted eventually. It was much too risky for her and, on top of that, she knew that these cameras only produced a very poor image. No one would think of infiltrating the Academy, because it was at the very heart of Konoha, and to infiltrate the village, you had to be very good. Besides that, what would a spy be doing here? If Sakura had to spy on another village on behalf of her own, she would try to infiltrate the Hokage Tower… so she really don't understand the cameras. She could only think about one thing: it was to simply monitor students or possible student intrusions.

The cameras had not been easy to see. They were hidden by a weak genjutsu and in nooks and crannies. When she'd planned this self-attributed mission, she hadn't thought about cameras. Sakura realized that there may be ones because, facing the door of the Hokage tower, she had spotted one in a corner. It was not hidden by any genjutsu, she saw _no_ interest in it except to intimidate the civilians.

Anyway, she had just started training her genjutsu skills. It was only because she had begun to take an interest in genjutsu and the techniques to dissolve one and feel one, had she finally been able to find the surveillance cameras. She had read some scrolls about genjutsu in the library, in the "Academy Student" section, but this one was very limited. Surprisingly, she discovered that she found the genjutsu…rather easy. Oh, she was under no illusions. It was only genjutsu of E-rank, even F-rank. But it was already something. She was building herself an armor, a set of kunai and shuriken, sharp and deadly.

She'd known the techniques and the seal to display very weak genjutsu but she had no partner to train with. With that, she just tried to_ sense_ if there was some techniques of illusion. It had taken her some time to spot chakra variations, especially since it would have seemed very suspicious if she had dragged on too long in the corridors. She then volunteered to help Mizuki-sensei after class, returning some documents to the teachers' room and helping him organizing some insignificant documents.

She was even looking for him in the corridors, always with a pretext in mind. It had allowed her to inspect the nooks and crannies discreetly and to spot them. And she'd found _them. _She'd found the chakra variation and she'd see through a genjutsu. A weak one, very weak one, but she'd seen through it. She was _proud_ of herself. She couldn't tell anyone about this, but she was goddamn _proud._

Of course, she'd not dispelled the genjutsu. She was not _stupid_. First, she would have been _spotted,_ which was not the goal at all. Secondly, she _must_ have to cast the same genjutsu afterwards. In the same condition. This last option was not possible since she still didn't know_ how_ to cast genjutsu and her chakra would have been different from the one that had placed it there. Even if she doubted that the person behind these Genjutsu had left any trace. She had read that when we tried to cast a genjutsu, we also had to know how to modify our chakra signature.

And she doubted that Konoha's ninjas were incompetent, especially since the Uchiha clan was proficient in genjutsu matters thanks to their Kekkei Genkai. She wouldn't even be surprised if it was an Uchiha who had cast them. Sakura had made it a point of honor to study the different clans of Konoha. So, she knew their Kekkei Genkai, knew, as, _general knowledge_ of course. It wouldn't be any good if she stuck her nose in Clan's secrets.

When she'd been able to just _see _through that Genjutsu, she'd planned on how she could go around them without being filmed. She had then discovered dead spots. See, cameras were placed in such a way that they could film almost everything. _Almost_ everything. She thought that if she put herself in a blind spot, she would necessarily escape surveillance.

By pure chance, she had seen the entrance to the air duct while she was in class. An idea had then formed in her head, and she had waited until the class emptied itself, while helping Mizuki-sensei at the end of the classes, before hiding in the classroom, removing her chakra and then trying to climb into it.

And that's when she discovered that the air ducts were more or less connected to each other for every classroom. But not elsewhere. Not into more specifics rooms. Class room were connected to each others and the other rooms were connected to each others. Only the classroom's air duct led her to the roof.

(It didn't really surprise her. It was like an emergency exit.)

So she didn't _have_ to climb down the hallway, where they would have seen everything. She could began on her _own_ class.

She hadn't tried to sneak out to the teacher's room… _yet._ She was not confident_ enough_ with her ability to suppress her chakra, nor to be able to avoid the cameras monitoring by hiding a their blind spots. So she was trying here. To kill two birds with one stone. One she could learn more advanced theories. Secondly, she could train and polish the essential skills of a ninja: gathering information without being noticed. Plus, she'd been able to organize her schedule to be able to work on her own classes- which were really not difficult from her point of view -, to do her daily chakra control training, while leaving herself a place to study the fifth year notions that would serve her to polish her knowledges and shinobi skills. And, above all, she'd learned patience.

She heard that the Fourth was a patient man.

With that on her mind, she took a gentle breath and focused on the class. The same boy, again, was talking_. _Seems like he was at the lead of the class. _Shoot!_ She missed at least half the explanations!

"….we should prioritize the mission and the potential information we wield. The best answer is that we should not be at this kind of situation, and if it was the case…"

Sakura slightly beamed, she'd guessed_ right_!

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Sakura helped Mizuki-sensei to organize taïjutsu spare two days after. She had gotten too used to helping him during her little search for surveillance cameras to stop so suddenly. And It didn't really bother her, honestly she liked Mizuki-sensei. He was dedicated to his work and he didn't make any favoritism even if he had at his charge a class full of elite. She was grateful for him for that. It wouldn't be any good if he was just some opportunist.

He was the kind of teacher who was not as extroverted as some - like Umeno-sensei or Tanaka-sensei- but just as competent. He'd a way to explain theories that was both simple and complex enough to not miss the important points.

Sakura drew the circle where the taijutsu session will take place and then put the chalk in a small box.

Ami sneered at her when Mizuki-sensei turned around to do something else. Sakura disregarded her superbly and gave the notebook filled with all the names of her comrades to Mizuki-sensei.

The sun was high in the sky, indicating noon sharp. Sakura knew this because a ninja didn't necessarily have access to a watch and it was something they_ must_ know. She assumed that clan children learned this early, she was lucky that her mother knew about it since she often went fishing with her father when she was younger.

She did the same thing with Sakura, who considered it as a training. _What time is it? How can I hide in a clearing? How to improvise a weapon? How to catch a fish bare hand? How to keep quiet footsteps in a forest full of hidden twigs?_

Sakura liked to guess by herself, to self-study, it made her proud that she could accomplish those things without any help. But she couldn't go on like this forever. There were things where it was preferable, even _mandatory_, to have a teacher. It was starting to worry her, she was a firm believer of self-made people, but she couldn't learn all by herself _perfectly._ She winced before walking to blend in with the crowd of students. Her eyes locked on Ami's one and then the purple-haired girl smiled, meanly.

"Bootlickers!" snickered Ami.

"Die in pieces," Sakura retaliated dryly.

Ami face deformed into a grimace of anger and she scowled, eyes in fire.

Sakura gave her a defiant look. Ami had already waited for her outside the academy several times with some of her friends to hit her. Of course, Sakura had _never_ let herself be beaten so easily, but these friends of her came from a higher class and were stronger than her, taller than her, _faster _than her and Sakura was not good in taïjutsu.

Not good _at all._ She lacked speed, stamina and coordination. She was no natural in it.

But it was _no_ big deal. Because with or without talent, _she would become as strong as the Fourth Hokage. _

She had learned on the job to_ dodge_. And she'd learned _how _to study her habits, facial expressions and attentions to be able to avoid her and her crew.

And sometimes, it was a _good _training to fight against more than one person. It was a good training to be able to withstand pain while trying not to stop dodging, to think about a_ way _to_ counter_ the attack, it was a_ perfect_ situation.

_So, Ami, please. Keep up your childishness. You make me stronger, _Sakura thought with a smile for herself.

The boys would be the first to fight. Sakura internally scoffed. She wanted to fight boys damn it. She knew her level against girls but she wanted to know her level against _boys _too. Hyûga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino, Uchiha Yori, Uchiha Keiko, Hatake Setsuka, Watanabe Rika, Kurosaki Chiyuki, Kiryuu Hana and so on….they all beat her. They beat her far and straight. In fact, she was _not_ good in taïjutsu, it was her worst subject. She was among the worst in taïjutsu on the girls' side…if not the _worst. _She'd always been a bookworm. And she didn't have any natural predisposition on _physical _activities. All she have was her mind and determination. She knew she was first in theory and in writing test, both in the girls' and boys' rankings. They hadn't moved on chakra use, yet, but she already knew how to use her chakra, but, again, she wanted to see _where _she stood.

(Maybe being in a class full of elite made her feels _inapte._ )

She bit her lower lip, _hard _and blinked, because she couldn't _allow_ herself having such a thought, because she was beyond that, furthermore she _knew_ that it wasn't because she was clanless that she worth _less._

And, more importantly, your blood _wasn't_ what _made_ you what you was but your _actions. _

Sakura scanned the surroundings and her eyes were drawn to silvery, square-cut hair and a calm and quiet profile. It was a girl. A very slight smile adorned her lips as Uzumaki Naruto was speaking to her quickly, Uchiha Sasuke at his side. The latter had this expression of his, a slightly calm face but happy eyes. He seemed to be annoyed by his blond friend, but it was this friendly annoyance, this strong bond. There was like an indestructible bond between the three of them.

Sakura had never experienced this kind of bond, of friendship, she didn't have friends. Yume was just an acquaintance and her parent didn't want her to talk to Sakura anymore now that she was at the Academy to become a ninja. Sakura had been picked on a lot to wanted anyone to be her friend now that she could escape them or tell them off anyway.

(Something slightly pinched her heart but she ignored it and _stepped _at it like a freaking _cockroach_)

She looked at the girl with the silver hair again. Hatake Setsuka. The_ strongest_ girl in the class, in terms of taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, track course, in dodging, in the game of tag... _Anything_ physical, she was the _best_. Sakura only outclassed her on the written exams. The only one who _could_ _eventually_ rival her on taïjutsu was Hyûga Hinata. But the Heiress of the Hyûga clan was too gentle. She didn't want to hurt anyone and while Sakura could admire this heart's kindness, she _knew_ that on the field, it was a _serious_ weakness.

However, even _if_ Hyûga Hinata wanted to really win the spar, Sakura was sure that Hatake Setsuka would _still _beat her. The girl was Uchiha Sasuke_ equivalent_ in term of prowess and talent, and even if she'd never saw them fighting each other on a taïjutsu spar -because girls and boys didn't fight each other's in first year, and yes she was rumbling but that was just so _dumb_\- but Sakura was quite good at analyzing fighting spare. Her body was not just a natural at it.

Not to mention that she was Sasuke's friend, _if not _Sasuke's best friend. Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Setsuka and Uchiha Sasuke were all very close, from what she had observed. They were "the" trio, "the" mischievous squad, their abilities to pull pranks and to get away with it was famous. They were seen as rising stars, not only due to their background but also because they were _good. _Sakura had heard about their recent prank. Well "heard" about it. Technically, they _hadn't_ done anything. If you question them, they will only make an innocent face – it was what Sakura imagined about them, though- and just shrugged off the suspicion with a smile. Prank. Make a mess of things. Let it be_ big_. But, above all _do not be caught_. That was the hidden rule. If you were caught, then it was _lame_, it meant many bad things for a shinobi. The Trio liked to suggest that they were the ones who messed things up without anyone being able to prove it. And even without it being voluntary on their part, there were always clues, something that could eventually link them to them, they were evidence, because the schemes were the same. They were predictable but were never ever being caught…well if they were caught, it was never made public, at least. But they were good, very _good _and they knew it.

And yeah, _sometimes,_ she could see them running in the village without even trying to cover up their pranks. They were laughing, a big smile on their lips and they were dodging any attempt to capture them.

Sakura was different. First of all, she didn't like to be noticed. Second, she didn't like to point out that she had done something. She wanted the thing she had done to remain _unknown,_ maybe _never _discovered but that had been beneficial to her. _To her._

And then maybe in a month, a year, someone would notice something strange. A book that was missing from the jounin section. Explosive tags that were slowly disappearing from the school's general supply. But no links. No obvious connections. No way to know that it was the same person, or if it was just a mistake.

Yeah. She didn't want to show off. She wanted to be the true shadow. And for her, it was the better thing. Not until she was "flee-on-sight".

(Well, she was not saying that she had done those kind of things…yet. Well, not all of them. She was still thinking of how she could infiltrate the Jounin section. She really needed some advanced chakra control techniques and a few Genjutsu scrolls…)

(Okay, maybe, just maybe, she was in a competition with them…only in her head. But she had objectives. Big objectives, and she wanted to improve her skills.)

Deep in thought, she didn't look away. And soon, Hatake Setsuka made an eye contact with her. Their eyes clung and she raised a silver eyebrow, as if she was judging her. Soon, Uchiha Sasuke looked in the same direction as her friend and laid his black eyes on her. His round face was slightly scowling.

She froze slightly, and, as if an iron bar had taken up residence in her spine, she straightened up discreetly, in all the small size of her one metre twenty inches.* She calmly held their gaze.

"Huh, what are you looking at, dattebayo?!"

A pair of big blue eyes landed on her, like the Fourth's one and….

"We will begin!" Mizuki-sensei said in a loud voice, his notebook on his hands. _a_nd thanks all the gods. She now had an excuse to look away without looking_ weak, "_Inuzuka Kiba against…Aburame Shino!"

_Don't get noticed Sakura. Not__** now. **_

The boys came face to face. Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino. Inuzuka Kiba would be evidently a close-range fighter, perhaps a middle range one too. While Aburame Shino had the profile to be a long-range fighter.

Sakura's interest was picked up. Of course, she had carefully collected any information she could have about her classmates. Their strength, their weakness. It was all based on her _own_ observation skills.

"Begin !"

They pounced at each other. Inuzuka was fierce and fast, whereas Aburame was all of smooth and fluid movement, however the boy with the round sunglasses had less stamina than his opponent. He was quickly overwhelmed by Inuzuka and soon, his movements became erratic and less precise. She almost frowned. If she had a forehead protector, she would have use it to blind her opponent. He could even try to do it with his glasses. But unfortunately, it _was not the case. _It was just a simple Taïjutsu spar, without tricks. It was not in the first-year program. She was sure she could have won some spars she'd lost with some cunning tactics.

Aburame will not forfeit, Sakura thought. Though, he'll probably come out of the circle if he kept going backwards in this way and he most likely _knows_ it.

She saw the way he was trying to take steps forward while trying to get away from his opponent's blows. His body was tense and he was trying to make a circle around Inuzuka. However, he did not have enough technique while the young boy with the wolf's eyes seemed to be in his field of predilection.

Inuzuka pivoted on his support and threw his foot very high, aiming at Aburame's chin, who bent back at full speed to avoid him, in the bridge position.

His hands were outside the circle.

"Stop! Kiba-kun has won! Make the seal of reconciliation!"

Inuzuka grinned, widely while the others were applauding and cheering him. Aburame Shino silently regained his place on the crowd as his of sharp canines did the same.

"Next is Uchiha Sasuke against Nara Shikamaru!"

Girls started to scream. Very loudly. Sakura's nose scrunched up. Too much noises. Too much unnecessary noises. And by the look on Nara Shikamaru's face, he was thinking the same thing. Uchiha Sasuke was very cute, and yes, Sakura might have a tiny bitty crush on him….but it wasn't an hindrance to her objectives. They were just making a fool of themselves.

Uzumaki Naruto was just grinning widely at his best friend and he must have said something to him, a private joke maybe, because the Uchiha made a slightly offended face, but it was just as much playful.

"Quiet!"

Authoritative voice and a convincing presence.

Silence.

"Sensei, it's too much effort. I forfeit." Nara's lazy voice was like a resounding lighting bolt in the silence.

"Shikamaru-kun, you haven't even _tried._"

"Oh please sensei, you know very well that he would win," he said while yawning...and took a step back. "Besides...I'm already disqualified. I stepped out of the circle. I lost."

Nara Shikamaru hated any physical activities. But since his clan was training him enough on that side, he didn't really need to give it all to the Academy on that side.

Not that he was giving his all on anything. He had one of the lowest scores in the class in the written exams. He was unmotivated and always sitting far away from the board. But Sakura knew better than to underestimate him. Because Nara Shikamaru seemed to _always_ notice things that the others didn't see.

He was far from being an idiot, and on that, Sakura would say that it was a big euphemism. He was just not showing his fullest intellect. Sakura didn't really been aware of him. But one day she'd heard him muttering something along to "troublesome". She hadn't really paid attention of it at the beginning. But three hours later, "the" Trio had pranked all the Chûnin sensei.

That's when her brain had made the connection between that "remark" and the prank. Of course, it could have been a coincidence. Of course, her mind could play tricks on her. But Sakura was going to become a shinobi. A shinobi as strong as the Fourth Hokage. So she believed in her instincts. And it told her that she was _right_.

She had no real proof of that, though.

Sakura glanced at him. She will take action, and she will do it very, _very _soon.

Mizuki-sensei let out a long suffering sigh, "All right, I can't force you to fight if you don't want to."

Akimichi Chôji has been pit against Uchiha Sasuke who won his fight in less than ten seconds. The cheering was twice as strong as those for Inuzuka. The latter, by the way, made an annoyed pout. The rest of the boy's taïjutsu session went on smoothly, with the expected results for some people.

"Haruno Sakura against Yamanaka Ino."

Her heart rose to her throat, quickly, as fast as the renowned Namikaze Minato's speed before going veeeery slowly down.

She could do it. She _can_ do it. It was a training. She won't win, she knew it. But she will do her best. She will see if she had become faster or better at dodging than last week…

Yeah, she could do it.

She walked into the circle as Yamanaka Ino was already in it.

"Begin!"

Okay, she needed to dodge. To dodge and then lure her out of the circle. She wasn't fast enough to hit her. She was just hoping that she could _more or less_ duck everything.

_One, two, three, four, five, six…_

She had noticed that Ino always started with a punch before moving on to a twirling kick. She managed to dodge the following movements, but _barely_. Her foot _brushed_ her shirt.

_...seven, eight, nine, ten... _

She had no coordination, she was clumsy and had trouble getting a rhythm. She clenched her teeth. She could do it! She was just supposed to use her hea-

A punch in her belly.

Her breath was cut off under the surprise and the force of the blow and she involuntarily bent in two. She regretted it the next second. _Bad move! _She needed_ togetawayquickly!_

She then tried to roll to the side, narrowly ducking her next hit that reached her halfway on her cheekbone. The pain exploded in her entire face and she clenched her teeth.

_...thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..._

She took a deep breath and clumsily stood up as Ino charged at her, jumping and aiming at her with her leg. She jumped to her side, or at least tried, her body not being fast enough, her dodge being of a calamitous clumsiness.

Lure her out of the circle, Sakura! Quick! _Quick!_

_...eighteen, nineteen, twenty…._

She tried to place herself discreetly so as to attract her where she wanted. If only she could use something, a stone, a root that slightly protrudes... _anything _to fool her!

_Don't stop dodging! Don't stop dodging Sakura!_

Her breathing was getting faster, her muscles were getting tired, but she _had_ to keep going, she must not give up.

_...thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four…._

Maybe she could use the sun to her advantage? No. Impossible. She had nothing, no kunai to reflect the rays of sunshine, nothing. How could she win?

Ino next hit touch her on her jawbone. Teeth clenched, she endured the pain, like a_ true shinobi,_ and forced her legs to stay there, by her simple_ will,_ despite her tiredness.

_How?_

An idea struck her while she gasped brutally, Ino's foot reaching her shoulder, destabilizing her support.

_...fourty, forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four…_

She bent down abruptly leaning on the muscles of her legs, forcing herself to extend her arms, clearly aware of each of her actions, as if she were a puppet pulling herself the strings that allowed her to move. The air agitated her hair as her opponent's blow passed over her head.

_...fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two…_

Now!

Sakura immediately closed her arms around... the void. Nothing. Ino's little hand came to rest on her back as she jumped over her.

_Shoot! _

She backed up hastily. Hurry! Hurry! _Don't turn your back on her! _She spun around to face Ino and tried desperately to-

Sakura didn't see it coming. Her feet were mowed down by Ino who moved to fast for her. And since she was already having a hard time dodging, she was getting tired on top of that.

Sakura fell on her back, heavily and lost her breath momentarily.

_...sixty._

Ino was above her, her fist raised.

She had won.

And Sakura had lasted sixty seconds against her. One minute.

"Yamanaka Ino is the winner! Make the seal of reconciliation!"

One minute, Sakura thought eagerly...and a bit frustrated as she made the seal of reconciliation, her vision blurred. She was no negative person and she didn't do self-pity, but…

One minute. It seemed so long to her. But it was…

...just one minute.

It was extraordinary - for her because she'd never lasted so long in a taïjutsu spar, especially against those at the top of the class- and depressing though...a little bit.

She slapped herself mentally.

No. She was improving. She had to keep going.

She just had to think seriously about a solution to make more _concrete_ progress. And she already have one in her mind.

As she returned to the crowd, she met Mizuki-sensei's gaze, who nodded very slightly towards her.

It made her feel better.

He too had noticed that she had lasted longer.

Her joy was crushed when she saw Ami's face. Mean expression. Narrowing eyes. Ah right, she had told her to "die in pieces".

Today, she will have to be careful at the end of school.

_But, thank you Ami. I've been able to make so much progress in dodging thanks to you, _Sakura thought with a satisfying smile.

Oh, maybe she wouldn't avoid her and her friends today. She was so full of energy that she needed to spend it.

What kind of girl would she be if she didn't thanks her and her crew properly?

Sakura's hand raised up and waved at her, with a shit-eating grin.

.

.

.

.

( She must check her cheekbone, though. It was throbbing.)

.

.

.

.

Sakura decided to act one week after the taïjutsu class. The sky was blue, so, so blue, like the thousand bluebells her mother used to describe to her when she was still reading her stories at night.

She climbed on the roof using the ladder, her book in hand, the wind gently moving her short hair around, without making a sound. She almost never came here and when she did, it was always empty.

But she knew that someone was here because she'd studied more or less his habits. It was not _that_ difficult anyway, huh. She always heard his friend asking him if he will watch clouds after class.

It was an hint for Sakura, that meant he liked to think. Oh, he could be seen as a just a lazy guy, and, frankly, _he_ could be one. But when _she_ didn't do anything, she was always thinking. And for someone as smart as him - as she suspected him to be, her guts were telling her so, she trusted them- it would be impossible to not think about something.

The first thing she saw was his spiky ponytail. She calmly walk straight at him, her book open, as she was reading on Military ration pills - she had tried to look for information about it at the Library, but it seems to be for the upper classes. So she had to... steal the book. It wasn't very difficult.-

He didn't even look at her, still watching straight the clouds, seeming not even noticing her presence.

But she knew better, even though she may be look carefree -_hoped _to, like this silver-haired dude who sometimes picked up Hatake Setsuka from the academy, she didn't know if he was her brother or her father, though, she wasn't really paying attention at them-, she had seen his shoulders stiffening slightly before immediately relaxing.

And Sakura could bet her life on it, but she was sure he was observing her right now. She didn't know how…she blinked looking in front of her, sharply.

_Oh. Right. I forgot that detail._

The building right in front of the Academy building had a mirror which was used to watch the adjacent street. She was far away, but she would swear that at that distance, he could see her.

What if she came closer...

Well, he would look at the clouds leisurely, without her even knowing that he had inspected her from head to toe.

The corner of her lips tickled her and she wanted to smile, a big smile. Something burned in her belly.

Something telling her she had made a good judgment. _He worth it. _

She sat one meter from him, legs crossed, before diving into his book.

About an hour passed, she was sharply immersed on her book. Or it seemed so. Another part of his brain, however, was attentive to any movement on his part.

He talked first, "Are you always this serious?" his voice was slow, disinterested.

Sakura blinked. Her only reaction. The corners of her lips were tickling her. _Oh…nice one Nara._

She answered simply, "I'am."

He muttered a "troublesome" and didn't respond to her.

She looked at him on the corner of her eyes. His arms were crossed behind his head and he was looking at the sky. Same position. Same expression. Same erased aura. Oh he was very good. Very very good at this game of pretence. Pretence to be just a harmless boy and in a sense, he was an harmless boy...physically. She had the feeling that he could outsmart you in a fight _easily. _

"Isn't it too hard to be at the bottom of the class?"

_Here. The dice were thrown_

His sharp eyes were on her the following second for the first time. Not in a threatening way – why must he feel the need to threaten her? She was asking a simple question- but in a very lazy motion, in a very keen way.

She smiled at him, her book on open and placed on her mouth, the cover facing him.

Sakura was not laughing at him. She was not mocking him because she was better than him.

He'd caught the real meaning of her question : It's not too hard for you _to stay_ at the bottom of the ranking _on purpose_.

He'd perfectly understood. Of course, he was _this_ smart.

Ah. Sakura didn't even know if she was as smart as him. Being able to score just the right amount to not really fail while remaining at the bottom of the class was an interesting challenge. A challenge she would be willing to take if the written exams were not her only strong point.

"Not really."

_Easy as pie. _

"Aah."

_Nice for you_.

She hid a smile as best she could. Really, it was so much fun, it was refreshing.

But she knew now that he would take her more seriously now.

_Good._

Because she really wanted to test their intelligence.

And she wanted his help for something.

(Or maybe it was Sakura's intent to have some kind of friend...or a comrade she knows a little better than the others.)

She closed her book.

Now, she needed to find a personal sensei. Or at least something who would be close to it.

.

.

.

.

Shikamaru's lips rose up very slightly after she left. She had come to see him on _purpose_ where he usually looks at the clouds whereas they had never met here before. It was not really a secret he liked to stroll around on the roof of the Academy, but few people knew about it except Chôji and Ino.

Her goal was to warn him about his habits. They were too easy to decipher and, above all, Chôji was not _discreet_. He was sure that it was more or less through him that she knew he was coming here. Since his friend would never rat him...well, it seemed it was very easy to listen at their conversation.

Shikamaru was also sure that she would come here from time to time because the Academy's ladder was squeaking and she hadn't made a sound when she climbed it. She had done it purposely.

_I come here often but you don't know it because I'm more discreet than you. My habits are not trackable._

His smile widens a little more.

She had stood by him for an hour without speaking once. At first glance, you'd think she'd only come here to read. However, she had not turned the page of her book _once._

She just wanted to show him that she had enough patience to sit here for hours if necessary and that if he wanted to know why she had come to see him, he had to speak _first._

"Are you always this serious?"

_You are too tense._

Because it was not a question. It was an affirmation. He wanted to tell her that she was as predictable as him, even more than him because of her seriousness. She needed to be more carefree to be able to pass everywhere.

"I'am."

_Do you really think I'm just serious?_

He answer however was a question. She was telling him that she was just showing what she wanted to show...like_ him._

Then...she showed him her book while smiling.

On purpose. That he could see she had steal an upper-class book on the Library, without being caught. That she was skilled to blend into the mass. That she had even done it once before. Without getting caught once. _Because she could stand still a long time like she'd showed him._ While saying to him that she knew he was scoring the right amount to not fail while remaining at the bottom of the class.

She was basically saying to him : I worth it.

And, it was true.

She worth it.

_Troublesome but interesting. _

* * *

Author's note :

Humm...

Yeah I know I should update my other story, but heh, I couldn't get this story out of my head ughhh, so I needed to write it and post it!

I hope you have enjoyed this chapter ! :) it's the beginning of Sakura's adventures ahah I know what I want to do with her until the graduation...more or less!

I wanted a badass seven-year-old Sakura with a tiny crush on Sasuke but objectives in her mind. And I didn't wanted her to be friends with Naruto or Sasuke..._right now_, she will not be their childhood friend! I wanted to explore another dynamic between them. As you can see, she'd no intention to talk to them, or them to talk to her, they were already a Trio with someone else :) Oh and I didn't wanted her to be helped or noticed by Itachi or Shisui...I'm seeing this plot soo frequently, I wanted to explore other things. I hope what I have on mind will please you ;) a smart and sharp Sakura without making her OOC.

Thanks to **Niina Lexy** for having corrected the mistakes I may have made in this chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Sakura, give me the salt honey."

Sakura was sitting on a chair, in front of the kitchen table, with her notebooks scattered all over it. She raised her head up, looking at her mother between her pink bangs, stopping temporarily her brainstorming about some Genjutsu equation.

"Here, Mommy," she said with a serious ton, the small bottle of salt between her tiny fingers, "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"What a cute girl, my little cherry blossom," cooed Haruno Yuka, dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

Sakura blushed and pouted and she hated every second of it. She always felt so childish with her mother. Whenever she tried to act mature, her mother managed to completely break this serious image. With a glint of cheerfulness on her eyes and a teasing smile on the corner of her lips on top of that and she was _luminous._

"Mom," she muttered dryly, but not really meaning it, "Stop it, it's embarrassing."

Yuka hummed happily, salting the food, her pink hair, the same shades as Sakura's, shiny and smooth, cascading down her back. For Sakura, her mother was the prettiest. Long ago, she wanted to have glossy and long hair like her. Plus, she had heard that Uchiha Sasuke liked girls with long hair…

It was before, when she had a _big _crush on him. Now, she saw more of sparkly blond hair and long cloak flying in the air.

"How are you doing with the Academy?"

"Hmm, I have an exam in History and Ninja theory in three days," she said while leafing through her notebook.

"Are you prepared?"

"It's easy."

"Of course, you're my little genius, honey."

The conviction on her mother's voice made her blush with pleasure and she wrapped a pink strand around her index finger, a ghost of a smile floating on the corners of her lips.

Sakura was not _only_ working this hard to become a fearful shinobi. She _liked_ to be complimented by her mom. And she liked the fact that she made her proud. Because her mom knew that she was serious about becoming a shinobi and she was not fooling around, so that was good, that was a goddamn good feeling.

She looked down at her Genjutsu equation. It was rather easy to make E-rank genjutsu equations, she knew now how to cast them, how quickly and how the genjutsu worked.

Theoretically of course.

A frown pulled her lower lip down. She had to apply the theory to the practice now.

But she had a major problem.

To practice it without supervision was dangerous. _Too_ dangerous. Genjutsu was a tricky and a subtle art. Missing the jutsu could be deadly for the mind, yes but not as much if it was _executed perfectly._ It had to be done _perfectly well. _And without supervision, a Genjutsu that was very well executed could even deceive its own caster.

Of course, the caster knew that it was not real, but that was the point with Genjutsu. _You know but you can't do anything_, she thought.

_Someone was always needed when starting out in this art. _

One of the reasons of wanting to learn Genjutsu was the terrifying idea of not being able to do anything while someone was playing with her mind. She shivered.

Sakura loved her mind. She loved the sensation of independence and freedom she knew that without her mind she was nothing, that she was not special anymore.

She loved her mind, she loved to think about puzzles, loved to solve them.

There was no way anyone could mess with her head. She wouldn't allow it. She'd rather die.

It was one of her deepest fears since she learned about Genjutsu.

She stopped tossing the dish in preparation and took the rice out of the rice machine.

"Say, Sakura-chan, you come back with more bruises these days. Aren't the taïjutsu spars at the Academy too violent?"

"Not really. I'm just training even more seriously," the pinkette retaliated, not looking at all at her mom, and Kami, she wanted to slap herself because it's only because she was busy preparing dishes that she could maintain a semblance of neutrality in her voice. She had always been bad at lying to her parents, at least for _her. _Her heart accelerated drastically and she inhaled discreetly through her nose. She hoped to be able to control her heartbeat soon, if she didn't know how to do it, she could never lie perfectly. Any ninja talented enough could tell with only one look at her throat, where her pulse was, if she was telling the truth or not.

"I'm not really good in taïjutsu, so I'm trying to improve," she added before biting the inside of her cheek. Too much, too much. At this rate, she was going to start blabbering and her mother would know for sure that she was hiding something.

Clearly, Ami and her crew could not be considered as people who helped her willingly to train. In their mind. Sakura liked to think that they were bullying her, no, that they _could_ bully her, _because_ she was using them, because she had given them permission to do so.

And in a sense, it was true. She had known long ago how to avoid them, she was just…she was just training. Training to take the nastiness, to become insensitive to it. Training to be able to dodge. Training to be able to bear the pain.

_Just training_.

"Your friends like to hit you on the forehead," her mother chuckled, sending her a warm look, well aware of her daughter's former complex.

Sakura rubbed her forehead in a sheepish motion. It was true /The truth was that she had been especially complexed by her forehead...well, it was mostly due to other kid's _cruelty_. She had been terribly bullied every time she went to play in the park. Her almost sickly shyness prevented her from making good friends. The children then laughed at her, mainly Ami. She was the first to make fun of her forehead, her hair, everything about her. She had been so mean, she was still so mean and Sakura had never understood (and still didn't understand) why.

Even now, Sakura _resented_ the park.

(And it was so ridiculous. Because it was just a place. But for her, the park was a metaphor for all the wickedness she has suffered. The park meant mean grins, nasty comments and cruel laughters)

She only went there to not alert her parents or to train, but quietly, in a corner where they couldn't see her. And even if she resented the park, that was where she had made the encounter that had changed her life. It only lasted a few seconds, one or two kind words, a cape in the wind and _dazzling_ sun hair.

She had she had used this memory to cool down so many times and it gave her so much _strength. _She had been able to bypass her shyness, her weakness. Sakura was goddamn proud of herself. She had developed _alone_, she had fought her demons _alone_ and she had been the winner of this cruel and _long_ contest. _Alone._

Still…

She was no longer upset by her forehead. Really. But, sometimes, she would look at herself in the mirror and she couldn't help it….she just judged herself. Puerile remarks, useless remarks. Remarks that would never help her move forward in life. Pink hair. A forehead too big for her tastes - or for the tastes of the evil Ami?- Maybe the after-effects were still there? -.

_Her hair would give her away immediately. Nobody would ever take her seriously. She was just some little civilian cannon fodder. _

_So...so…._

So, she needed to be so _strong_ that the pink colors would be synonym of "flee-on-sight". She would be a legend feared and respected and nobody, _nobody_ would make fun of her.

_Ever again. _

And...it was not her forehead that would make a difference on a battlefield. Well, unless she headbanged someone.

Then she would break their nose to pieces. _Gratefulness. The Forehead Killer Shinobi. What a cool name. Yikes._

Flaws? Insecurities? Only for a few seconds. Her forehead, her hair. It was part of her. These were weapons that could be used wisely and Sakura wasn't the type to neglect what she could naturally have.

"...It's a bit annoying, though."

Always add some truth to the lie. Or the lie by _omission. _She wasn't really telling her mom that it was her "friends". She was just saying that being hit on the forehead was a drag. She didn't mention that they were friends either. It was her mother who had come to this conclusion _on her own. _

Sakura glanced at her notebooks and she blinked when she heard the front door and a "Tadaima".

Sakura paused and ran to see her father in the living room before turning slightly to the side. "Oh, Daddy. You're early today."

It was often said that Sakura inherited her mother's hair, nose and eye shape. But people kept saying that the colour of her eyes, her cheekbones and her smile were those of her father.

She was a perfect blend of the two even though her mother liked to say that she was like her father in every way.

_Shoot_. If her Dad saw her marks...

She bit her lower lip.

Sakura hid her face, or at least, _tried_ to hide her face with her hair.

Well, she was half-turned to him.

"Darling! My cute little daughter! Come say hi to Daddy! Daddy wants a kiss!" he cooed with a sickening honey-tone and she made a face at him. _Expression._

"You're disgusting, Daddy, stop it."

"Moh, such hurtful words from my daughter~"

He immediately jumped at her and she took a side step, avoiding him. He nearly crashed into the sofa.

They lived in a two-storey house. The first floor consisted of the kitchen, the living room. These two rooms were separated by a door and it was in this same living room that they sometimes received guests. In this case, they would set up a large table and her mother would cook a real feast.

A staircase was located just to the right of the kitchen door and led to the only upper floor. Her parents' bedroom, her own and a guest room were located here. Of course, the bathroom and toilet were also present.

"I will tell Mommy if you don't' behave like a grown-up adult," she threatened a bit dryly before smiling at his dejected expression. At last, she guessed his expression, because she could only see him on the periphery of her vision. She knew her father too well. "Just kidding, Daddy."

She walked up to him, very quickly, so he could not really see her bruises and kissed his cheek. He could be so annoying, but she loved him. His face brightened up.

Her father was a tall man. He had hair the same length as hers but he tied it into a low ponytail with a black elastic band.

She had exactly the same bangs as him and sometimes the same dry humour.

"My sweet little Sakura, don't tease Daddy, you know that he loves you very much and that your kisses bring butterflies from Heaven to his heart right?"

This time, she turned her back and ran away from him. Veryyyy quickly from him.

"...Darling! Why are you running away from your daddy?!" there was a wounded tone in his voice.

_Shoot._

She may have seen wrongly, but she could almost bet that her father's green eyes had stopped for a few seconds on her injuries. It was very likely that he had seen them and she knew that he knew that she knew that he knew it.

He was just playing along.

Her Dad could be a real pain in the neck.

"Because I know you, Daddy. You will not let me go and _I don't have time."_

She heard a hiccup of stupor and she bit her lower lip.

The couch, the rug, the table.

Okay, that was easy.

She turned around the sofa to prevent his big arms from grabbing her and suddenly made a left turn, turning entirely towards her father, who suddenly stumbled under surprise. A big "boom" echoed and she laughed, dimples digging in her cheeks, the same ones that her father had.

"...That was not kind of you, Sakura-chan. Your poor dad is now crippled. Destroyed. His ego is nowhere to be found. I can't show my face anymore. My sweet little daughter has completely and utterly beaten her poor daddy."

It was said in a false heartbreaking voice but all of this was an act. It was fake and it was meant to be seen as an act, a playful heart lighted act. But it was totally fake, his false high-pitched voice was a poor imitation of an aching he was not feeling. Because right now, and Sakura was seeing it, his eyes were sharp and his smile dummy.

"Daddy, it's nothing."

He lifted an eyebrow, pouted and said in a whiny voice, "Nothing? You say it's nothing?"

The pinkette looked at him and blinked. Was she…

She frowned.

Was she imagining things? He seemed to be making innuendos about something. Or some things?

Was he talking about her bruises? She had talked about her bruises , though, when she said it was "nothing" but she didn't _expected _him to really _catch_ it. She was not insulting her father's intelligence, not at all, but she'd never tried to communicate like that before. Just like she did with Shikamaru the only time she talked with him.

Her father gave her a rascal's smile, his eyes wrinkled, shining with a small glow that she could not describe and his dimples appeared.

She didn't know how to interpret this expression other than "I know exactly what you are thinking about and let me tell you that you are _absolutely_ right, honey."

Or...was it her imagination? Her eyes slightly narrowed but she said nothing.

"Daddy!" she squealed when he grabbed her by the waist.

"Got you!"

_Smoosh, smoosh, smoooooosh!_

"Ugh, stop kissing me!"

"No way!"

"Daddy, stop it!"

"The pain will go away with my kisses!"

_Smoosh!_

"Daddy! Kisses do not heal bruises! It's scientifically not possible!"

He stopped momentarily, "But it's _my_ kisses."

She blinked, "It doesn't change anything, Daddy. Your kisses don't have any regenerative properties."

Shigure sighed, a gleam of pride in his eyes, "Since when are you interested in 'regenerative properties'?"

"I would like to learn medical ninjutsu," she said with a tiny voice, although it was holding a strong determined edge.

It was like she was nervous.

But she was.

She was confident about her ability to learn, to succeed at something purely theoric at first, but he was her father and his opinion mattered to her.

"Daddy, can I have some dango?" She asked looking at her mother sideways before flashing at her father the cutest puppy eyes no-jutsu she had in her arsenal.

Her father's eyebrow twitched.

"Sakura, my sweet little darling who came from heaven in order to bless my poor heathen soul, you know that you can't eat sweet things before dinner, huh?"

The corner of her mouth pulled down and she looked at him with big, cute eyes, "I know...but pretty please? Just this time? Plus, do you know that sugar is good for the health? Not all the type of sugar of course, but honey, for example, is a natural feedstuff, rich in simple sugars directly assimilable and endowed with a greater sweetening power than sucrose (table sugar, Daddy), while having a lower caloric intake. It has a _dynamogenic_ and stimulating action of the heart sought by those who regularly engage in _physical activity_ and _tired people_."

She feigned a yawn, looking at him from under her eyelashes, "And you know Daddy, I'm _so_ tired _because_ of all my physical activity. Plus, it promotes the assimilation of calcium and the retention of magnesium by the body, two minerals essential to the proper functioning of our body. Concerning _children_, honey allows a _better_ and _faster _bone and dental calcification. Thanks to its many enzymes, it facilitates the assimilation of other foods, thus _improving digestion_ and intestinal transit."

Okay, she was clearly manipulating him. But that was not a problem.

It was true that she always wanted to not be seen as a mere child. But Sakura knew when to use the fact that she _was _a child.

She was a kid, but she was smart. That was a reminder. Even though she had childish desires - as sugar before dinner, but well, maybe it was not just for children- she knew what she was doing, and her long explanation about the benefits of honey was a proof of that.

Sakura had also mentioned that she was studying medical ninjutsu…

(And it was not easy. Medic-nin were usually rare. Field medic-nin? Even rarer! That's what her books told her. A Jônin field medic-nin and Genjutsu specialist. That was a great future.)

Was it another attempt to show him that she was serious and an hard worker? Did she want to see that little gleam of pride again?

Maybe. Probably.

And it was a test. To see if her father really could pick up her somewhat mind game, like _earlier._ It was thrilling, her heart was pounding hard in her chest and her stomach was a bunch of painful knots.

Her father was looking at her, his head slightly tilted to one side, green eyes of a more pronounced color than usual. He was not even blinking, his face carefully blank. He was just _looking _at her. Staring at her. There was no malice on his gaze - there would never be any malice in his eyes, it was an intimate conviction, he was her _daddy-_ She looked back at him, as calmly as she could.

The silence stretched, lengthened and her limbs were tense even as she tried to relax. They were face to face, gazing at each other, without blinking. Her little back was tense and she was unconsciously raising up her chin as she always did when she wanted to look strong and calm. Her eyes were not wavering.

"What's going on here?" asked her mother when she came to see them in the living room. "I don't want to be rude, my darlings, but you both look like idiots."

Sakura's face became red at this.

Her Dad smiled, finally, and laughed, before looking at her mom, eyes sparkling and wrinkled with humor. "Our little darling angel wants some dango before dinner."

Her mom frowned. "Sakura…"

However, her father continued, "Our lovely little peanut butter has stipulated with a passion that makes me proud of her that, certain types of sugar are good for health. She took the example of honey and explained its benefits to me without stuttering once. Isn't she adorable?" he cooed, smiling affectionately at his daughter and ruffling her hair.

_She had won._

She wanted to smile widely but restrained herself.

"Sakura-chan."

She froze and looked at him with guilt.

"Just take better care of yourself, all right? I don't like to see you with those bruises."

"No problem, Daddy!"

.

.

.

.

Konoha's shopping street was lively. People walked quietly, going in and out of the shops. Some shopkeepers chatted with customers, others sold their products with great persuasion.

Children ran around under the watchful but gentle eye of their parents.

The sun was beating down hard that day and Sakura winced slightly, her skin was quite sensitive but she hated to put on sunscreen. Unfortunately her mother didn't mind. It was either that or she didn't go out.

So, welcome to the hell of sunscreen.

She loved to go out with her father at times like that. They laughed together and blended in. She could hop around and joke and he could carry her and make her jump in the air.

And most of all, they'd talk about anything and everything. She loved the complicity that she had with him.

She smoothed her green dress and adjusted the red ribbon she had in her hair before blinking.

From a distance, she saw them.

Uzumaki Naruto's golden hair shone under the sun as he waved his arms in all directions. She could hear what he was saying from time to time. His orange shirt was a perfect match for his complexion and he wore orange goggles.

"It was amazing, dattebayo! You must absolutely try, Teme! You too, Setsuka-chan! It went bim! And bam! And badaboum!"

Uchiha Sasuke turned his head towards him, looking a little annoyed but still relaxed. He had the famous Uchihas outfit (well, she saw a lot of them wearing the same outfit as him) high collar shirt and black pant. She had already seen that expression a hundred times on his face. He opened his mouth and said something she couldn't hear; he kept a normal voice tone unlike his friend. The son of the Hokage put one hand against his mouth and then rubbed the back of his skull, sheepishly.

People were slightly watching them, some of them were smiling at Uzumaki Naruto. Sakura leaned her head slightly to one side. She had always wondered what the son of the Hokage thought of all the attention he received from the villagers when he was around.

They came to talk to him and smiled happily at him. It wasn't intrusive and in a way, such a positive attention should be nice, but did he like it? Or on the other hand, did he feel embarrassed by all these looks?

They only behaved that way because he was the son of the Hokage. _Not for him,_ Sakura thought suddenly, struck by this sudden thought. It was..._sad_.

She couldn't have handled it.

Hatake Setsuka, who was next to Sasuke, nudged him with her elbow and Sakura thought she saw him raising his eyebrows, with an inquiring look. The next second, two other people joined them. A tall silver-haired dude with a tall dark-haired dude.

"Sakura-chan?"

She gulped and looked at her father. "Yes?"

He raised up one eyebrow. "What are you looking at with such big, cute, eyes?"

"My comrades?" she finally retaliated after a few seconds of hesitation.

He looked at them. "Oh, the son of the Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, hmm."

"Yes." She didn't want to talk much about them because she feared her father would want to know more about them, or even worse, to get to know them! Ugh!

"Isn't it Uchiha Sasuke?" he asked, his voice becoming slightly cold. Sakura winced. That was also what she feared. Her father knew she had had a _huge _crush on him. Moreover, the slightest mention of Uchiha Sasuke put him in a bad mood, so seeing him in person…well, needless to say that, it was not the best idea.

"Yeah," she muttered, "I would like to eat dango, Daddy. And can you stop looking at him like that? I don't want them to spot us."

Sakura didn't want to look at the two boys with them.

"They are with ninjas, hm."

She frowned and looked again, "I suppose."

She observed them more discreetly. The tallest had spiky and black hair and a huge smile on his lips. The son of the Hokage told him something, not standing still,- she sometimes wondered if he could stand still at all - and Sakura could see why they seemed to get along. They both had radiant joie de vivre.

Next to Hatake Setsuka was another guy with the same silver hair as the small girl. Sakura had already crossed paths with him many times in the streets of Konoha.

_Come on, look away Sakura, before anyone notices you!_

"Daddy," she said forcing herself to look at him. "Do you want dango as well?"

"_Ow~,_ are you inviting your old father?"

"You're not _this_ old, Dad," she sassed. "I don't need to wipe your behind...not yet."

She quietly laughed when her father looked at her, horrified.

"What the _fu-…"_

He actually stopped, picked himself up in time and she raised an eyebrow at him, intrigued.

"…the fact that you think that your poor Dad could poop is heartbreaking," he whimpered as he clenched a hand in his kimono, where his heart was, as if he was deeply wounded.

Sakura didn't even bother to answer. She just raised her little chin, as usual, as a huge smile threatened to tear her cheeks.

"…Well, in that case!" he exclaimed, suddenly biting her cheek. She mumbled and rubbed her skin, her face suddenly red. She was also frustrated that she had not felt that he was going to "attack" her. "I hope that you will wipe my poop later, honey," he said with humor, as she gave him a black stare, recovered from her surprise. "My poop, and your Mommy's as well, actually."

"Ew, Mommy _doesn't_ poop."

"What is this nonsense?" he laughed, "_I_ poop, but your mother doesn't? So, what? She shits rainbows?"

He didn't even bother to look sorry as he had clearly sworn in front of her. She was used to this, her father sometimes slacked off when alone with her, and some f-bombs and s-bombs were dropped. Though, she didn't really know what the f-bomb really meant.

"Dude, she has _pink_ hair, you nailed it good. It's obviously rainbows," Sakura retaliated, her sassy side getting on fire.

He gave her an ambiguous look, amused by her pattern of speech, "Are you a hooligan, Sakura, hm?"

Before she could reply, he continued.

"But so do _you. _But _dude…" _A keen eye "_..._trust me, you've had some toxic poop. Nothing to do with glitter and rose scent. I hate to admit it, because you are a blessed being who came from heaven to absolve all my sins, but…if I could have found a way to concentrate what you had dropped in your diaper, I'd have made real explosive tags of it. The kind that awakens the dead. Something to market. A real weapon set. A new way to intoxicate the enemies. Sneaky and cruel. Like a fucking true shinobi." He added with a slightly dry voice.

He paused and looked at her, appearing _now _sorry and worried. "Don't even utter the f-bomb in front of your mom, darling. Only when needed, remember?"

Sakura burst out of laughing, "Coward!"

Her father frowned suddenly, all traces of humor disappearing from his face and she winced, "Never."

A serious expression crossed Sakura's small face and she nodded, "I know Daddy. I'm just kidding."

They shared a long, direct and frank look, full of emotion for Shigure and full of determination for Sakura.

"You're cute, you know that honey?"

She smiled, all pretty and dimples. "I know! I'm as cute as Mommy. Your words, not mine!"

Shigure winked at her daughter. " Well, to be specific, your mother is _beautiful_."

She snickered and made exaggerated kissing noises. "Mouah, mouah, mou-, waah!"

Holding one hand to her forehead, she made a sulky pout as he smiled, a tender glint in his eyes. "That wasn't nice, Daddy."

"I find you a little too insolent, my sweet Sakura," he replied, clearly withholding a laugh.

The smile she gave him was innocent, proud and satisfying. Like a cat. It was kind of cute. She yelped when he planted a firm but tender kiss on her forehead.

"Will you behave now?" he asked narrowing his eyes at her, the only thing that betrayed his acting being the corner of his lips, slightly lifted, and the spark of amusement she could almost _feel _flowing out of him.

"Depends," she chirped. "How many dangos am I getting?"

"Sakura," he looked at her seriously, before grabbing her by the legs, eliciting a surprised scream from her. He made her sit on his shoulders and started to walk faster. "Do you doubt that your amazing and loving father would ever refuse you?"

Sakura let out a happy laughter and she tightened the hold of her hands around her father's head, as she watched him enter the dango shop at the end of the street. Subconsciously, she noticed that her classmates had entered the shop as well and were standing right before her in the line.

"I hope it will not spoil your appetite, though."

Sakura giggled lightly, "Nope. I can't miss Mommy's dinner. It's almost a _traitorous _thought. My stomach would hold a grudge against me and I would be in a very bad posture afterwards. What if it decided to give me stomach cramps while I'm engaged in a taïjutsu spar?"

"Then you'll have to endure the pain like a champ," he smiled, bobbing gently his head up to look at her before flicking her nose.

She let out a surprised little cry before tightening her grip around father's head. "Daddy, watch out! Do you want me to fall?"

He snorted.

"I'll catch you either way, angel."

As she looked up, she suddenly realized she could see the top of everyone head. It was a ridiculous and obvious observation since her father was basically very tall, taller than the two ninja boys in front of her and they were…well tall?

So, _of course _she could see everything at the top of her improvised perch. The sun chose that precise moment to shine the brightest and she closed her eyes, _dazzled._

She suddenly felt embarrassed. She glanced at the Trio in front of her (with two more people, which didn't really make it a trio...but let's not squabble over semantics) from under her eyelashes.

A strange feeling blossomed inside of her. And, as they finally entered the shop, her father following soon after them, she rubbed her chest with her fist.

To have such a bond must be so nice. Even though she was loner, it wasn't...she didn't think it was in her deepest nature.

She threw a glance at them shyly, before she started wriggling, silently asking her father to put her down.. She just hoped that he wouldn't ask her any was quite unusual that she would voluntarily make such a demand. She loved it when he raised her up, it made her feel like she was flying, and the fact that her feet floated in the air strengthened that feeling

He obeyed immediately.

_Without a word, _she thought, relieved.

Obviously, he still threw at her a long pensive look. She pursed her lips and gently shook her head.

Nope. She wouldn't say anything. Not now, and not before a long time.

She didn't like to realize how lonely she felt. She used to think that she didn't need friends but it was… she had been wrong.

She didn't need them in the strongest sense of the word, but she evidently wasn't cut out for prolonged loneliness. She pursed her lips a second time. Friends… That reminded her...

_A park. Childish giggles, but of an unparalleled meanness._

...it brought back bad memories.

_A cape in the wind. _

(That. That was something else. It was a special image, a unique and intense moment. Something that had changed her life. But she loved it as much as she hated to associate it with the pettiness she may have endured long before that life changing moment.)

"My little Sakura, you seem pretty thoughtful. Although it doesn't really change from your usual self, because you're the smartest little girl on the entire Fire nation and even more, but you look pretty sad to me? What are you sad about? You're not getting your dangos fast enough?"

Her father cast a angry look in front of him. "Or is it those oddballs that give you a headache. I understand it myself since I find them quite noisy. Not to mention that this kid you seem to be…"

He almost choked on his next words and mumbled a number of incomprehensible things. Intrigued, she raised her eyebrows.

He cleared his throat. "Nothing," he finally said. "I just don't like the way my sentence was going to turn out. It made me...murderous. Yeah, murderous."

Sakura blinked before rolling her eyes, her cheeks red. Her father scowled.

"Forget it, Daddy." she muttered embarrassedly, looking down at the floor. A huge, warm hand rested tenderly on her skull and she relaxed.

Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed, really not standing still and almost jumping to the ceiling. "Obi-nii! Did you really do that?!"

'Obi-nii' burst out laughing and rubbed his head. "Yep! That's the truth of the truth! Easy there, Naruto, you'll jump to the ceiling at this rate!"

Sakura blinked, almost delighted that he subconsciously used her obvious observation.

"I seem to remember that you were almost the same as he was at your age," pointed out the silver-haired dude, half of his face being covered with a mask and _what was its use, seriously? _ She had never understood.

"Excuse us for having joie de vivre, killjoy of the whole Land of Fire," replied his friend. And although it was rather brutal, one could feel that it was only friendly and that the two got along very well. A cat and mouse relationship. Almost.

He had a slight snigger. "I'm not the one who would get us noticed on a mission. Your discretion is _legendary._"

"Oi! I know very _well _how to behave on a mission, I'll have you know! And my drive is a good thing if I can channel it properly! Those are the words of a _sensei."_

The dark-haired teenager insisted on this last point, as if it were his sharpest and most convincing argument. The gleam in his eyes was joyful. No quarrel. Not yet, Sakura thought, frowning slightly, analyzing them as best she could. It had become second nature to analyze everyone who passed by. The almost nonchalant way they both stood might fooled many people, but not her.

Although...her eyes fell on the silver-haired dude. He was the most nonchalant of them. He was so laid back that people wouldn't set eyes on him a second time...if it wasn't for his ninja uniform. And...she knew because she had already crossed paths with him a few times in Konoha's streets and he had been in his _shinobi _clothes, but more importantly, she had seen him picking up Hatake Setsuka at school. Now that she was watching him more closely, he seemed very young to be her father. She would lean towards her brother or her cousin if necessary. But such a resemblance was so striking that a brotherly relationship made more sense to her.

(_Hatake Kakashi._ Maybe it was him?)

But, she thought, let's not put the cart before the horse. The Uchihas seemed alike if you didn't look them in the face.

His friend, on the other hand, albeit he seemed relaxed, was not so _forgettable_. And this simple difference made her categorize the two young men: she knew who was the stronger of the both of them.

She bit her lower lip. She could be wrong, however. But someone who could look so harmless when he was a ninja was undeniably powerful.

She suddenly thought of the Yondaime. He didn't look harmless, him.

_He didn't have to_. His appearance had to fit his position : The Hokage. The Hokage was the strongest person in the village and, therefore, he had to shine as much as his title. He must be worthy of it.

Maybe 'Obi-nii' didn't wanted to be forgettable? Maybe he could perfectly pass for a simple civilian, but still preferred to possess...some kind of _aura_? Because he was in his own village? Maybe his ability to appear normal to a random civilian but less ordinary to a more casual eye was actually more sharply focused than his friend's? Of course, an average civilian couldn't tell if he was a ninja without his uniform-

They're with ninjas, hm?

Her father's voice came to her mind. She suddenly blinked. How did he know they were both ninjas? Neither of them wore uniforms, and it was because she was at the Academy and they were being taught to distinguish a civilian from a shinobi, or else she might have said otherwise.

She glanced at him in amazement. His hair tied in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck was deep black and his face masculine. He looked at his daughter and arched perfectly one of his eyebrows, his eyes as green as Sakura's eyes shining with curiosity.

"Well?"

She asked in a low voice, "Daddy...how did you know that they were ninjas?"

The same impression as the one she had had in their livingroom vibrate in her and she observed him more closely, waiting for his answer almost impatiently.

She remembered his rascal smile, saying, "Yes, my darling, you are right."

If she had had no restraint, she would have jumped like Uzumaki Naruto. She noticed, however, that her legs were slightly trembling and she felt deeply disappointed with herself. She was not able to control herself well yet.

A flash of understanding ignited her father's eyes and he gave her a huge smile, his straight white teeth almost glistening and his green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"You know Sakura, just because I'm a civilian doesn't mean I have no awareness of my surroundings, or no talent for observation. And I'm even less of an idiot."

She blushed and narrowed her eyes. She knew it well! She had to remember it everyday and indirectly remind her clan children classmates.

With a dry voice, she whispered, " I know Daddy. For your information, I'm a civilian as well."

"And I know it too, honey."

His smile became bigger, " You have learned to make the distinction between a civilian and a ninja a the Academy, haven't you?"

She blinked.

He shook his hand, chasing away her potential questions, " It's not hard to guess. You'd be surprised to learn that most of the smartest - and sharpest- civilians know how to tell them apart."

"Then why didn't you ever teach me how to do it?" Sakura muttered, feeling somewhat betrayed. Knowledge was knowledge and she needed all the weapons she could easily get.

She was answered by an amused smile and her leaned towards her before he kissed her affectionately on the cheek, cozying her. Soothing her.

"We can learn quickly to differentiate a ninja from other people. For example, a ninja will always have a tendency to always look around themself as to be well aware of their surroundings. They also have telling moves; few people walk as silently and gracefully. Their reflexes are quite a giving as well. Their stature is also important in the observation. Although many civilians have manual jobs that give them an imposant size, the solicited muscles aren't the same. Their hands are covered of scars sometimes, it can't fool the discerning eye."Sakura observed him with wide eyes. She opened her eyes softly and an endless admiration exploded in her. She had always admired her parents, because they were amazing and comprehensive et she knew that she had the best parents in the word. But her dad's ability of observation was extraordinary. She was overwhelmed with pride. Civilians were clever as well after all. They could be just as competent as ninjas. Being from a civilian family didn't mean that she couldn't become a remarkable ninja.

He tickled her chin slightly before he added,"Do you know that the way one positions themselves in a room is important as well?"

A flash of comprehension shined in her eyes."Yes. For example, if someone puts themself in the middle of a room, but not too much, in order to be from a reasonable distance from a window, you can guess that they're waiting for an enemy to appear from there. So they'd be out of the range of any attack."

"Exactly! You must also know that positioning yourself near a door would allow you to know who comes in and out, all the while having the opportunity to discreetly slip away.""But…

But?

"...But those reasons aren't enough. Anyone could stand near a door without being a ninja."

Her dad smiled slowly and there was something profoundly feline about it. From his gaze, so similar to hers, to the way he held himself, he made her think of the cats she had seen around the Uchiha compound."Their way of holding themselves, love. You forget the way they held themselves. While appearing nonchalant, they are always positioned, almost subconsciously, in a way that allows them to jump at any moment. When they're sitting, they're always a bit closer to the border of their chair than anyone else."

He leaned towards her as if he was about to tell her a secret, and she held her breath, her mind in ebullition.

"But the ninjas who are the hardest to spot?"

"Yes?" she whispered with wide eyes.

"It's women," he revealed.

She opened her mouth in order to ask him explanations, but a loud exclamation made her look behind her. Uzumaki Naruto was sniggering while his friend had crossed his arms, a somber expression on his face.

"Ita-chan wants some mitarashi dangos!"

The silver haired dude snorted, "Why does that not surprise me?"

Uchiha Sasuke turned his head so quickly towards 'Obi-nii' that Sakura thought his neck would break. And, _wow_. If a look could kill, the giant dude would be six feet underground. He was shooting daggers at him.

"Don't call Nii-san Ita-chan!" he exclaimed as if he was trying to defend his brother's male honor.

Inwardly, Sakura nodded. Family first; her daddy always said so. And she could understand Uchiha Sasuke's anger, if she had an older brother and someone dared to give him such a ridiculous nickname...if her older brother was the Yondaime...

She daydreamed for a few seconds about that wonderful possibility before she shook her head. She smiled at her father when he gave her an interrogative look.

Yeah, she would have had the same reaction as her classmate.

Which made him even cuter in her eyes. She felt her cheeks turn pink and quickly turned her head towards her father to take her mind off of him, of her classmate.

She didn't want him to ask her why she was turning red and didn't want to be caught looking at the boy! That boy right there. His father would be capable to glare at him all along. He was already struggling to _not_ do it. The very mention of him put him in a bad mood. He could barely talk about him a few moments ago.

"Sasu-chan, you're hard with me," snickered the guy.

"Don't. Call. Me. Sasu-chan!" he growled, clearly irritated. "I'm not a baby!"

Uzumaki Naruto laughed very loudly, his skin turning red, he laughed so much that he made no more noise, folded in half, his whole body shaken by his hilarity.

Apparently, he found Uchiha Sasuke very amusing in his anger. People around them smiled at his joy while some other looked quite a bit annoyed by all the noise he was making. His friend nudged him with her elbow. She seemed almost embarrassed but Sakura could see a little smile forming at the corner of her lips since she was viewed from the side.

She told him something alongside of "Quiet Naru" but Sakura was not sure since she was the only one who wasn't really speaking loudly.

But she was close enough to be able to hear their conversation since they spoke with equal voices. Suddenly, she worried that the two ninjas might have heard the conversation with her father, but she quickly erased the idea from her mind. This was unlikely, since her father had spoken in a low voice, much lower than usual, and his voice was drowned out by the customary hustle and bustle of the village. And, honestly, the son of the Hokage made more noise than ten people put together when he wanted to.

"Kakashi-nii!"

This time, Hatake Setsuka spoke in a louder voice before blushing, embarrassed. She cleared her throat and elbowed him.

(Inwardly, Sakura widened her eyes. It was _the_ Hatake Kakashi. And she had _no_ trouble seeing that he graduated at _five_.)

He had said something in her ear before rubbing her head.

She wondered what had made her so shy. But pride shone in her eyes.

"Ahh, we're already late for the training session with Shi and Ita-chan!"

He let out a growl of surprised when his little cousin (maybe?) stomped his foot, "Sasu-chan! That's so mean of you, really."

Before he could retaliate and _boy_, it would be a big, messy retaliation judging by his lightning-flashing eyes and tomato red face, 'Kakashi-nii' whom she had dubbed as Silver-Haired Dude intervened.

"We're already late, as you said, Obito. Personally, I like to be on time sometimes. And if you don't want your two cousins to rip your head off, you better order. Before Sasuke does it instead."

He laughed, sheepishly, before ordering two boxes of mitarashi dangos.

And they left. Sakura hid slightly behind her father as not to be noticed, but they didn't even seem to notice her. She breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Finally, their turn came. The cashier welcomed them with a smile.

"What can I serve you?"

"A box of mitarashi dangos, please," her father asked with an amused smirk.

The cashier took an apologetic tone. "My apologies, sir, but we've just sold the last one. Can I get you anything else…?"

Sakura's shoulders slumped down but she finally shrugged and peaked a look at her father.

"You want to go at another dango shop, honey?"

She shook her head, glanced at the cashier before shyly looking at her feet. She was always very shy when she went out with her father or interacted with adults other than Mizuki-sensei at the academy.

And the cashier was polite enough to not stare too much at her face. She has a few minor injuries but nothing serious per se. Just little bruises.

"No, it's fine for me. I would like tofu dangos, please."

"Right there, young one!"

.

.

.

On the way home, they ran into Mizuki-sensei.

He was accompanied by a brown-haired civilian woman with a braid in her hair. She wore civilian clothes, a plain cream dress with dark sandals. She was smiling at Mizuki-sensei. He was wearing a black shirt and pants of the same color. Both of which blended into Konoha's background.

And they were holding hands.

Sakura opened her eyes wide.

Mizuki-sensei had a _girlfriend!_ Like, a _**girlfriend**_! It was almost _gross!_ Because, _ew_! He was her sensei!

She couldn't help watching them with an almost embarrassing fascination. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by either her father or the couple in question.

Her teacher recognized her instantly and smiled, waving at her. Her cheeks turned red and she cursed herself. _Well done, Sakura! You're so impolite._

"Sakura-chan!"

He came to her, seemed pleased to see her.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mizuki, Sakura-chan's teacher." he said to her father, politely.

"Thank you. It's very nice to meet you as well. I'm Haruno Shigure, Sakura's father."

Then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a teasing smile that made her teacher's eyebrows shot up, he said with an amused voice, "Sakura tells us a lot about you. She thinks you're a fair and serious teacher. I'm glad to finally meet you, Mizuki-san."

"Daddy!" she whined very quietly, scandalized by the way he threw her to the wolf.

She was exaggerating but it was just as well! And she didn't want her teacher to think that her father was trying to buy him off because he wasn't!

But it was a _ninja_ thought. Paranoia reigned. It was necessary for survival.

Mizuki-sensei seemed surprised and _pleased_, very _pleased_ by this revelation and he gently smiled at her. In spite of her face pink of shame, she smiled back at him, holding his gaze.

She was relieved to see that he didn't think her father was trying to make her appear good to him.

She was proud to understand that it was not necessary since he seemed to really like her. Civilians often tried to do this kind of thing with their children's teachers. To give them an extra chance compared to clan children.

But what they didn't understand was that the kid had to prove themselves and any attempt was looked down upon, especially if it was done poorly.

And it came from a teacher who wasn't necessarily from a clan, like Mizuki-sensei. They often forgot that they were not normal people. They were shinobi. It was not the same world, it was not the same thing at all.

They were trained to see those sorts of things from the beginning.

His girlfriend spoke up.

"I'm Mizuki's girlfriend, Tsubaki. It's nice to meet you as well."

She was gentle and kind, Sakura could tell by way she talked and the nice sparkles in her eyes. She appeared to be very smitten with her boyfriend. But Sakura didn't really know this kind of thing.

Even though he was a ninja, she didn't seem to care. Sakura knew that civilians had a hard time when someone close to them married a ninja. There was some prejudice about ninjas in the civilian part of Konoha.

Prejudice as well as admiration; sometimes, the two were closely intertwined.

That she could go out with him so openly showed great strength of mind, unless her parents were open-minded enough not to really care.

And then, here in the middle of the street, when he was dressed so normally, he melted well into the crowd.

That she accepted that he could die at any moment, but she chose to stay with him made her appear strong in Sakura's eyes.

Her posture was relaxed, slack and her hands perfectly manicured. There was not a trace that stained their beauty. Her face was round and her skin well cared for. She was a hard-core civilian and one from a fairly good family.

She caught Sakura staring at her and she smiled nicely at her.

"You're chunin, Mizuki-san?" asked her father, "Sakura told me that chunin are those who usually teach at the academy."

A corner of his mouth rose up as the sun beat down on his hair, making it appear white. "I'd say she's right, even if it's not the only function of chûnins."

Her father leaned forward a little, interested, but didn't ask any more questions.

The shinobi were quite secret.

That was the point.

"Mizuki was promoted Jônin the day before," said the woman with a big smile all over her face. Her eyes were big and dark and lovely, matching her complexion that was darker than Sakura's one.

Her eyes widened. J-…J-…_Jônin?!_ Mizuki-sensei was promoted _Jônin_?! The elite of the elite?!

"Really?!" she burbled out before she could stop herself. Jônin! _Jônin…_

_Wow._ Just _wow._

"Jônin?" And she knew it was her father.

Mizuki-sensei scratched the back of his head almost shyly. But they were a deep satisfaction in his eyes, something akin of _pride._

And God, she thoroughly, strongly, fully, _completely _understood him. Mizuki-sensei was a civilian and she couldn't imagine how hard he had to fight to get where he was. Being promoted to Jônin was the icing on the cake of his career. It was the achievement of a lifetime, something he must have wanted for a long time.

He completed the chapter of one of his ambitions.

"It's the highest position a ninja can acquire," explained Sakura mechanically, eyes set on her teacher. She didn't even try to hide her awe, clasping her father's hand. "Other than Hokage, of course."

"You want to be Jônin, Sakura-chan?"

She looked at Tsubaki-san, and hesitating for a second before nodding. "Yes I would like to be Jônin later."

"And I believe you can achieve it if you keep working so hard and make so much progress," said Mizuki-sensei nicely to her.

Her father exchanged a few more words with the couple before they went their separate ways.

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Her father dropped the bomb when they settled down to eat.

"Do you know that your teacher's girlfriend is a ninja?"

She paused. Looked at him.

"_What?_"

He winked at her, "I told you that women are the most difficult ones to spot."

"Show me _how_."

"Maybe later. Hum…you know what? I'm not a ninja, but how about you find out yourself? Unless you're not capable?" he teased.

"You _wish."_

_._

_._

_._

_As strong as the Yondaime, as ambitious as Mizuki-sensei and as sharp as the best of the civilians, her father. _

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She often met Shikamaru on the roof of the school when they had free time. She would just read and he would just look at the clouds.

She may not have a friendship like that of the Trio yet, but she liked to think that Shikamaru and she were on the way to become friends.

But for the moment silence was their only companion.

And it was just as well.

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...But...

"...Do you know how to spot female ninjas?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence. He clearly did not expect this, as he raised his head towards her and stared at her, stunned.

"…What?"

She sighed, "Nevermind."

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No, Shikamaru never really thought about it.

But her question had intrigued him.

So he began to observe the people around him, the _women_, more precisely than usual.

And he understood that finally, although the male ninjas thought they were strong, perhaps stronger than the kunoichis, they were not as subtle.

Nor perhaps even as powerful as some.

...

_Not by an inch. _

Troublesome.

He couldn't spot a single one.

( It changed his view of women. They were even more terrifying than he first thought. The shinobis who underestimated them were all idiots. Luckily, _he_ wasn't an idiot.

And he sincerely hoped that this was the case for ninety percent of the ninja men in his village.

Well, only stupid people underestimated their opponents.)

So they really died of stupidity.

He almost snickered and thought he'd share this joke with Sakura someday.

* * *

**FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T WANT TO READ MY APOLOGY, GO DIRECTLY TO THE HORIZONTAL LINE.**

...

*cough*

Is there anybody here?

No?

I'm so sorry.

I posted months later, it's not cool, I know, but...  
So, let me explain.  
I started writing chapter 2 right after I wrote and posted chapter 1. But I went on vacation and I still hadn't finished it. When I came back, I started writing again...but...you know that horrible place called the school? Yeah, well T-T

I tried really hard to write every days except that_ the chapter didn't want to end. _ The more I progressed, the longer it got, _I couldn't see any end to it_ T_T I had to cut the chapter once but it wasn't enough, so I cut it in _three._ This chapter is thirty pages long. THIRTY PAGES.  
And the other two are the same length and_ I still haven't finished them._ At this rate I was afraid to write a _100-pages chapter._  
BUT THE GOOD NEWS is that I have_ two chapters_ already well underway, so I will soon publish! :D

* * *

I wanted to thank you. I didn't expect so many people to enjoy my fanfiction, I was so surprised! I'm happy!

So after that resounding apology, what did you think of the chapter?  
I hope it's not boring, it's not my favorite chapter I admit, but I wanted to explore Sakura's family and her character. She's only seven years old!

I've been asked some questions about the pairing. But if I gave you an answer, it wouldn't be funny, would it? For now, Sakura is too young and she really has other things on her mind xD but don't worry, we'll get there!  
I was also asked a lot of questions about Setsuka...and you got the answer in the chapter.

Thanks to **Niina Lexy** who helped me correct that chapter, I think I'd still be there without her help! Go read her fanfiction, it's called Love on your skin and it's on the pairing Naruko x Shisui if you're interested. It's an AU soulmate.

And to make up for that, here's a little **sneak peak** from the next chapter:

"Excuse-me,_ atta girl_," and there was something deeply sarcastic in the tone of her voice, a bitter bite as well, but she swallowed it like a sour tea, "but you're here, so proud of your academic achievements and _mocking_ my own... yet, I didn't hear anything about you possibly graduating this year. In just _one_ year. Like Uchiha Itachi…"

A smile, a saccharine smile, an innocent eyelash beat as she dropped the bomb, with a sweet honey-like tone, "...or _Hatake_ Kakashi."

Oh.

_Oh._

Double Bullseye. Triple one even. Wow.

Fury, pure anger flashed in her eyes and for a second there, Sakura thought she was going to get hit._ Badly_. It was an emotion in its raw state and it literally crystallized her face, the lines of her features became more prominent, she was exulting _wrath. _

Sakura's body froze before it tightened up. Her breath stopped and she unconsciously clenched her fist, ready to...to...to...fight for her life if necessary.

_Come at me_, she thought spark of anger coloring her cheeks. _Come at me! _

_Excitement._ The rush of something inside of her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Small author's note:** Remember that this is an AU, that the characters' upbringing is different from canon, and their personalities are necessarily different for them to be realistic. But every reaction will be explained in time, I really try to make each character as realistic as possible.

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Sakura hadn't seen Ami today and she was very happy. Although the girl hadn't bothered her for three days, it wouldn't be long before she did. She always did that, annoyed her for a while, then stopped, and then started again.

It was... exhausting, but Sakura wouldn't let it get her down.

It made her stronger mentally.

Besides that, she had _aced _her exams. It was a piece of cake. She was eager to tell her parents then she would read a good book about nutrition.

"So? Do you think you failed your exams?" Sakura asked Nara Shikamaru casually as she joined him on the roof where he was obviously hiding to take a nap during the twenty-minute break they were given.

Teasing. She teased him and wanted to smile. She felt more and more comfortable with him.

A little more and they would finally become friends.

He glanced at her lazily.

"Maybe not…" he said in a sluggish voice before looking up to the sky.

Sakura froze slightly, her eyes a little wide open. Maybe not...?

No?! It meant that...?!

"Did you compose seriously?" She gasped in amazement.

A wry smile. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Sakura raised her eyebrows slightly.

"And why I would?"

"You know why," he replied, turning around this time entirely to her.

Yes, she knew that.

"Why don't we do this for the next exams?" She blurted out.

Yes, she absolutely wanted to see her level. Did she want to...play? She wanted to see who could be the best. Him, her? Both of them?

"No way," mumbled Shikamaru.

Her excitement died down.

"Why?"

"Because otherwise the teachers will be surprised. They will wonder if I didn't cheat and they will challenge the idea because a student at the Academy can't get past the supervision of a chûnin. They will quickly understand that I don't make any effort on purpose. If I find myself first in the ranking, it will be problematic for me since they will not accept that I will be among the last next time."

Sakura narrowed her eyes...

Yeah. She'd seen right.

He had just given her a sharp glance, but not without a touch of defiance.

Her lips quivered. " 'First in the ranking', you're so sure you can beat me?"

This time, she couldn't not smile, "You're arrogant."

"No thanks, I'll leave that to the Uchiha in our class," Shikamaru replied with a very slight smile.

"Which one?"

He peaked at her, "The one that looks as interesting as a curry to the girls in our class."

Then he shrugged lazily.

"Exams are not complicated. It's just too much of a drag to hold my pen."

Sakura giggled, amused. "Well…you're not wrong. Exams are not that hard."

Nara Shikamaru suddenly straightened up.

She looked at him with curiosity.

"About what you told me last time about the kunoichis."

Sakura nodded her head. She was surprised by the frustrated look in his eyes.

"They're not easy to spot at all. I don't know how I didn't realize it."

Sakura smiled, very glad he thought about what she'd told him and guessed.

"I saw Mizuki-sensei's girlfriend," she confessed as he raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Where did you see her?"

"I was with my father in the merchant street to buy dangos. That's when I saw them. It's a kunoichi and I didn't even notice it. She had soft hands, no visible scars, a relaxed posture... there was no indication that she was a kunoichi."

He lay back quietly, with his arms folded behind his head.

"And how did you know?"

"It was my father who told me."

"Your dad's a ninja?"

"No, he's a civilian."

When she said that, he turned his head to her in amazement.

"Really? But how did he know?"

Sakura couldn't help sulking. 'That's the problem, I don't know. And I want to know how he did it. You know, civilians aren't as blind as ninjas seem to think. They probably started knowing the difference between a ninja and a civilian a long time ago for the sharper of them."

He remained silent, his lazy eyes once again turned to the sky. "It's no wonder," he finally said. "Either you're trying to survive and therefore behave like an observer, or ninjas are slacking off."

He then shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said. "Anyway, Sakura... you taught me that…"

He hesitated. "No, I mean, you've just taught me that the world must be seen in many layers."

Keeping his words full of meaning in the corner of her head, Sakura suddenly grabbed his arm, her heart pounding wildly.

"What did you call me?"

He seemed startled as he looked at her. "Huh?"

"What did you call me?"

He frowned.

"By your first name…?"

"What is my first name?" she breathed.

He tried to back up a bit. "Wah, you're a little weird right now, I thought you didn't have Ino's mood swings."

"What's my first name?!" she repeated.

"...Sakura."

A huge smile born on her lips.

"You called me Sakura," she whispered as the poor boy seemed completely lost. "Does that mean we're friends?"

He understood from her expression and closed his eyes with a grunt. "What? So, until now, you didn't think we were friends?"

She cleared her throat shyly. "We have never made anything... official? I thought we were just classmates until now... that we weren't friends yet."

"Sakura." Nara Shikamaru looked annoyed as he lay back down. "Of course we're friends. I wouldn't stay with you on this roof if we're not."

There was a long pause. She looked at her hands, butterflies of happiness in her belly.

Then she said after ten minutes.

"So we're friends?"

"Yes, we're friends."

"Can I call you Shikamaru?"

His sigh of suffering snatched a smile from her.

"Yes, you can. Lie down next to me and stop talking too much."

And so she did.

She laid down beside him and looked at the clouds for the first time.

She was sure that _Shikamaru_ wouldn't let her down.

Not like Yume.

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"Did you know that Mizuki-sensei was promoted _Jônin?"_

_"Jônin?"_

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"Listen carefully because I'm not going to repeat myself twice: you're going to be placed in pairs. I'll start by listing the duos and then I'll explain the instructions."

Mizuki-sensei's dark green eyes gazed at the small crowd of students. Sakura tensed slightly as they passed her. Her heart was pounding.

They'd never done this kind of thing at the Academy before. They'd never done a ninja activity simulation before, because that must have been it, right?

So exciting. Obstacle course. Maybe. She didn't know but she was really eager to begin!

She forced herself to cool down.

_Easy, Sakura, easy._

Maybe…maybe she could be placed with Shikamaru? It would be amazing. She was curious to know how they could work together, how they could work together. Will they be as synchronized as their brains?

She peaked a look at him. His eyebrow was twitching and he didn't seem happy at all. He looked almost distraught. She squinted her eyes a little, watching him more closely. He had turned white. If the sky was falling right now, he'd be just as pale.

Which reminded her that her friend ( her friend!) hated any effort. One proof was during taïjutsu spar. He literally didn't give a hang about winning a single spar, was unmotivated as heck during class (how many times did Mizuki-sensei threw at him a very precise piece of chalk right in the middle of his forehead?) and skip classes whenever he can.

She had already heard Yamanaka Ino sometimes "whispering-yelling" at him about it. Akimichi Chôji, one of Shikamaru's friend just told his blonde friend to drop it.

("Do you want Aunt Yoshino to kill you, idiot?!" "…No, that's not my intention." "So, why do you keep skipping classes! Ugh, Shikamaru, you make me crazy!" "Chill out, Ino, you're almost making a scene." "No one asked your opinion Chôji!" )

He seemed more open with his two friends than with the rest of the class. He was on the chubby side, and Sakura had heard that it was part of the Akimichi's Kekkei Genkai, but she didn't know too much about it. In fact, she knew almost nothing about the Kekkei Genkai of the clans in her village. She knew that the Uchihas' clan allowed them to throw high-level Genjutsu and that it was their specialty.

As for the Hyuugas...there were rumors that they could see through walls, but she really didn't know anything about it.

As if he had felt her gaze on him, he looked at her in turn. Then he made a very slight grimace, his nose slightly wrinkling, the corner of his lips falling down.

Amusement flashed inside her and she wanted to burst out laughing at his expression. She barely held back a giggle but couldn't stop a broad smile from appearing on her face.

He blinked and gave her an annoyed look before miming with his mouth, "That's not funny."

And Sakura replied in the same way, "Yes, it is."

He pretended to give her a bored look before looking back at Mizuki-sensei with a slight smile on his face.

Mizuki-sensei began quoting the pairs, "Yamanaka Ino and Uchiha Sasuke!"

The little blonde's face became radiant and she sent a huge smile to Uchiha Sasuke who seemed to scowl significantly.

Inwardly, Sakura sulked a little.

She didn't really want to talk to Uchiha Sasuke, didn't want to be noticed by him.

( Because she wasn't ready yet, she wasn't yet the best version of herself. She felt intimidated by him)

But on the other hand...she wouldn't have minded being put together with him. Her cheeks reddened and she looked back at Mizuki-sensei. She was still hoping to be placed with Shikamaru, though. With her _friend_!

Mizuki-sensei continued to list people. He came in the name of the son of Hokage.

"Uzumaki Naruto and Nara Shikamaru."

Her friend turned his head slowly, very slowly towards Mizuki-sensei, looking at him with obvious horror.

Sakura glanced at Uzumaki Naruto who was clearly sulking..

"But Mizuki-sensei! Why can't I be with Setsuka-chan, at least?!"

"Naruto-kun, you can't always be with your friends. You have to get out of your comfort zone."

Sakura took pity on Shikamaru. For someone who abhorred physical activity or agitation in general, being placed with a hyperactive guy like that must be a nightmare.

Naruto wasn't the only one who was disappointed, however. She was, too. She would have wanted to be placed with her friend.

But maybe some other time.

She wondered if Mizuki-sensei hadn't placed them together on purpose to force Shikamaru to just_ move._

Sakura glanced at Shikamaru, again, and this time a little snort escaped of her mouth. He was expressionless but it only emphasized his apparent distress.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Trio was actively speaking, before Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed in a loud voice, "What a good idea, dattebayo!"

Sharp chalk flew straight to the blond's forehead.

"Ouch! Sensei!"

"Quiet!"

As people were laughing joyously, the son of the Hokage only rubbed sheepishly his forehead.

He continued listing people.

"Haruno Sakura and Hatake Setsuka!"

Shocked, she refrained from widening her eyes. She...and Hatake Setsuka? Seriously?

It was the most unlikely combination. Why did Mizuki-sensei put them together?

Sakura shuddered in spite of herself, almost intimidated, before curtly cursing at herself. It was just a practice session and even though they'd never spoken before, she had to deal with it. She chewed her lower lip. She sincerely thought the trio would keep to themselves...

No.

That was dumb, though. The exercise was done in pairs. Of course, they couldn't do the three-way! Mizuki-sensei wasn't into favoritism. More importantly, what would be the point?

Nervousness made her stupid.

_Stop being nervous, Sakura. You're more confident than that at the Academy._

When Mizuki-sensei finished making the list, he began explaining the purpose of the exercise.

"I'll give you a starting riddle for each duet. You can have the same ones, or you can have different ones. Either way, you must take care of your own riddles. There will be three in all. Now, all of you go to your teammate. and come in the order in which I called you."

Sakura then moved towards Hatake Setsuka.

(Maybe...maybe she could call him Setsuka-chan someday? )

She had to go through it twice before her voice came back. Luckily for her, she had only just started standing in front of her new partner.

"It looks like we'll have to team up?" she said, clearing her throat slightly.

Her teammate's deep black gaze probed her for a few moments. She had a very thin face and a roundness in her cheeks, the same as Sakura's ones. It softened her cold and detached air by a lot. Hatake Setsuka's complexion was darker than that of the pinkette. She noticed that her silver eyebrows were a little thicker than her own. Her upper lip was a little less full than her lower lip. The silver streak she kept in front of her right eye caught her attention for a fraction of a second. Sakura wondered if it was a family tradition to hide part of her face. Hatake Kakashi had a mask that literally covered half of his face while his sister... "just" hid her eye. For what purpose? She honestly didn't know. Especially since it seemed terribly impractical during a fight.

It was... dumb. She didn't like to judge right away, but well.

Maybe it was a way to train?

Maybe... maybe she could ask her someday?

_Yeah... no, Sakura. You're rambling. It's none of your business. Just do your job._

Hatake Setsuka's voice took her mind off it.

"I think so...yes," she spoke in a neutral, but lingering tone.

Sakura could see it didn't make her that happy. But she was watching her quietly, almost curiously. A slight curiosity, almost derisive.

Her gaze was neither hostile nor contemptuous.

Sakura let out her breath. She hadn't even realize she'd stopped breathing.

The silver-haired girl turned away from her and walked towards Mizuki-sensei when he called out to them. Sakura quickly joined her to stand next to her.

"Here, this is the first riddle for you. Good luck!"

He smiled nicely.

When he was finished, he said, "Well done, In that case, I wish you good luck! First, start thinking about the riddle and on my signal, you can go!"

No one saw him move.

He was across the field in the blink of an eye. Some students uttered exclamations of delight and surprise. Sakura's breath was taken away. He was fast!

She glanced at her teammate, who really didn't seem surprised. She must have felt her gaze on her. She turned her black eyes towards her and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Does that impress you?"

Sakura blinked.

Uh...she didn't really know how to answer that, honestly.

Well... yes?

She decided to go for honesty. She wanted to break the ice! She still couldn't believe they were talking to each other!

( Yes. She didn't want any interactions with the Trio to begin with...but why not? She was friends with Shikamaru,_ now. _They could be friends as well )

"Yeah... I'd like to be as fast as him someday."

And, maybe she was dreaming, but she felt as if she saw an underlying mockery in her eyes that she could only describe as blank. A touch of surprise, too.

She really didn't understand.

Hatake Setsuka snorted lightly, "There is people faster than him. It was nothing."

Sakura pursued her lips without thinking about it.

Well…was she…was she mocking her in a way because she found Mizuki-sensei awesome? Sakura didn't like her tone.

_Sorry, most people didn't have a genius as brother, huh._

Sakura wanted to glare at her. Truly. She barely restrained herself.

The girl knew nothing of what civilians who wanted to become ninjas endured. Sakura was even a little shocked. How could she be so contemptuous? How dare she judge Mizuki-sensei? She didn't know how much he must have sweated to get where he was. She should be more humble!

Sakura was suddenly feeling upset. Her parents had always taught her to respect other people, especially those who never let go.

No... maybe she was a bit hard with her.

She didn't know her, she was probably judging her pretty quickly.

But her eyes hardly ever deceived her. The glow in Hatake Setsuka's seemed to tell her that she has perfectly understood this glint.

She still forced herself to smile.

You don't know her, Sakura. Be polite! You're her partner.

"Maybe. But it doesn't make him any slower."

With a snort full of disbelief – yeah, that was it- Hatake Setsuka shrugged, without adding anything.

Noted.

The conversation ended here.

…That was not what she had been expecting from her.

The silver-haired girl unfolded the paper and began to read the riddle. Sakura glanced at the paper as well, mobilizing her concentration. Come on! She could do it! And then she would certainly be able to make her laugh, she must not have been used to hanging out with people other than her two friends! She could do it! They would complete the exercise together and they could even start to become acquaintances!

_I'm a shield, I find my power within the village and by being right, I bring order and I help perpetuate a justice of fire._

She frowned. A shield. Power within the village. By being right. Justice of fire?

A shield…? It must be something protecting the village. Was it human or an object?

Power within the village? Justice of fire…

_Oh._

Of course. She was not sure, but it must be it. It was obvious it was the Hokage's Tower. The Hokage brought the justice of fire, and he was a shield for the village! And he found his power within the village.

Before she could open her mouth, Mizuki-sensei interrupted her. "The exercise begins!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Uzumaki Naruto rushing at full speed. Shikamaru seemed to breathe a long, weary sigh and rub his head before trotting towards the son of the Hokage. Her classmates began to run as well, dispersing in different directions. She smiled at her friend when she crossed his eyes before the blonde suddenly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him forcibly behind him.

"If you could concentrate, that would be cool," urged her new partner a little dryly.

Sakura was startled, mortified before blinking. In her eyes, a straight, direct reproach could be read. She looked slightly squinting at her, her eyebrows furrowed. Her face was freezing cold, it was impressive the way she managed not to show her feelings.

Like a real shinobi.

Sakura swallowed the ball that formed slightly in her throat, but she didn't let go of her gaze.

"Um, sorry."

She was right about that one. Damn it, she'd just gotten a bad look from Hatake Setsuka in a matter of seconds.

She didn't want her to think she wasn't serious!

And Hatake Setsuka started running, not giving her time to talk.

And it clearly wasn't in the direction of the Hokage Tower.

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As Sakura and Hatake Setsuka were running at full speed, the pinkette had a hard time following her partner. However, in spite of the gap between them, Sakura wasn't deterred. If there was one thing that made Sakura proud of herself, it was her speed. She wasn't the quickest by any means, but she wasn't the slowest either. Far from that. If she had to be ranked in comparison to her classmates, boys and girls alike, she would easily end in the middle of it. But the potential was_ there_. She had natural speed. Of course, she didn't just rely on the abilities that she already had acquired, and she kept training as much as possible.

"Hatake-san!" she cried, out of breath. "Wait! Where are you going exactly?"

Sakura didn't recognize that path at all. In fact, Hatake Setsuka was leading her to alleys that she didn't know at all in the village. That was definitively not the path that led to the Hokage's Tower.

She struggled more and more in following her. Her teammate was like a fish in the sea, she weaved between the villagers with an agility that Sakura couldn't help but admire.

_Where is she taking me, damn it?_

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to accelerate along the path to try to follow her partner's rhythm whom she found more and more annoying.

She observed Hatake Setsuka's body in motion. There was no hesitation in the way she moved. Sakura folded her eyes. On her way, she almost collided with a civilian and apologized promptly, breathless.

"I'm sorry!" she murmured quickly, her breath short and her face red.

_It was so awkward and shameful!_

The silver-haired young girl threw an annoyed glance at her over her shoulder, seeming to tell her silently to quicken her step.

She started to observe her again, trying as best as she could to keep her cadence. Actually, it was quite strange. She had never truly paid attention to the way Hatake Setsuka ran, but now that she was observing her from close, it was as if…she couldn't explain it.

It was most likely due to the fact that she didn't even understand it yet. One whose train of thoughts was clear could easily formulate their arguments as well as their observations. At least, that was what her father always said. And that was why Sakura always took care of sleeping early and eating all of her vegetables. In her mother's opinion, her body had to feel good as much as her mind.

She quickly chased away those thoughts from her mind and stretched out her hand to catch Hatake Setsuka's shoulder. Although she knew that touching people like this wasn't really polite, she didn't see any other solution.

"Wait!" she murmured, out of breath, making her stop in her track.

She thought that she had discerned a gleam of surprise in the black eyes of her classmate when the latter almost found herself pinned at the same place. Sakura took that time to inhale deeply, catching her breath.

"Can you just," she started before breathing in again. "I mean, can you just tell me where we're going? I don't recognize these roads at all."

"Let go of me," the Hatake answered curtly before she pulled away brutally.

Sakura's hands lowered along her body and she observed her partner silently.

"We're going to the Uchiha Station."

Hatake Setsuka frowned as if it were obvious.

"We have to go now. Stop taking so long or we'll never get there in time."

She didn't even let Sakura the time to answer and left promptly.

The pinkette's breath caught in her throat. So fast!

She bit her lower lip et followed after her immediately to not fall behind.

How had she known that they had to go to the Uchiha station?!

Her eyes widened when Hatake Setsuka jumped over a tall man's head. Damn, but how did she do that?! Sakura could never realize such a feat!

Unless...Maybe…Maybe…?

Did she use her chakra as well…?!

Subconsciously, she tightened her hands into fists. Clan children learned how to use their chakra early on, then.

Suddenly, Sakura saw her head right, taking a right turn swiftly before she disappeared in a little alley, _that she still didn't know, damn_.

"Hey, little girl, where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Sorry sir, I can't tell you, I really have to go!" she replied over her shoulder before she turned right a few seconds after Hatake Setsuka.

Her classmate had turned her head toward her for a demi-second to look at her before she pursued her path.

The street was narrow and boxes were laid down all the way. She almost rammed into one and avoided another one clumsily. She was starting to feel tired, she wasn't used to running so fast; usually, she trained according to her own rhythm.

Sakura started to feel slightly discouraged. She had always considered herself to be fast, and she had never tried to compare herself to Hatake Setsuka, but now...she had no choice but to note that in that area, there was truly a huge gap between them.

They finally came out of the alleyway and that is when Sakura understood.

_Of course._

The Uchihas were the police force of the village and their mission was the protection of the villagers. They represented righteousness and protection. They were the armor of the villagers in a way. Why didn't she ever notice it before?

Dang it, it was so logical that she wanted to shake herself up.

_It's okay, Sakura. You'll be more quick-minded next time._

And yet, a knot had formed in her stomach.

There was no other academy student, not yet, anyway.

But how could Hatake Setsuka know that short-cut?

Oh.

Of course.

Uchiha Sasuke. It was logical.

The silver-haired girl entered the building through one of the two doors of the police station.

Sakura blinked, watching it for a few seconds before she entered right after her.

From the outside, the building looked like...a plush. Admittedly, a huge plush, but a plush nonetheless. Its head was shaped in half a circle, and two round windows adorned each side of what could be qualified as the "nose". Said-nose had the Uchiha insignia inscribed on it as well as the words "POLICE STATION". It was also made of windows, but in the shape of rectangles aligned one above the other.

Sakura froze.

Three policemen were in the room. Leather sofas were put in the place and a counter had been built in order to let them see directly one someone entered the police station.

They didn't look to be older than thirty years of age. One of them had an ankle on his knee while another was sitting next to him.

Their faces were relaxed and they seemed to be making jokes. On the coffee table in front of the leather sofas were rice balls and what looked like tea?

Sakura looked at them, fascinated. They had a rather white skin and very black hair. Their features were pleasing to the eye, but the man standing behind the desk facing the door was the most beautiful of the three. He had a fine nose and a face that she would describe as aristocratic, at least that's what she had read in one of her books. He reminded her a bit of her daddy, but not so much. He was...more pretty than handsome.

Her partner walked toward the pretty man.

"Good morning, can I see Fugaku-ojichan?" she asked in a clear tone.

Sakura frowned. Fugaku-ojichan? What did she mean by Fugaku-ojichan…? Did she have contacts? Or did Hatake Setsuka have a family member who was married to an Uchiha?"

Someone who could help them in their exercise?

Suddenly, Sakura started to feel uneasy. She guessed it was a good thing...a ninja should use EVERY resource that they had in disposition but still, she found that completely unfair.

If Sakura had been alone, she couldn't have counted on the help of a third party.

However...

However, now that she knew that Hatake Setsuka had relations – even if it didn't surprise her that much– she could always follow her discreetly during the next exercises. After all, it was part of being a ninja: learning from past experiences, gathering information and coming up with sound plans by using her knowledge.

(Of course, in order for her to do that, the exercise would have to be individual.)

And it gave Sakura a supplementary motivation to improve her race time. She was still breathless because of the cadence. She had pushed her body as much as she could to be able to follow her partner, which hadn't been an easy feat. But facts were that _she had done it._

(The knot was still there, in her stomach, still small so that she would barely pay attention to it, but it weighed plenty enough for her to not be able to completely ignore it.)

"You wish to see Fugaku-sama?" the policeman asked, surprise visible on his face, his eyelashes grazing his cheeks.

_Fugaku-sama_.

_'Oh, no way…' _the pinkette realized, doing her best to not stare wide eyes at them. No way! There was only one person that would bear such a title and it was most likely the police chief himself.

"Exactly. We're having an exercise at the Academy, and the riddle we had to solve said to some here."

A gleam of comprehension crossed the Uchiha policeman's onyx eyes and he observed them without saying anything for a few seconds. Sakura's cheeks became red under the impenetrable gaze that was scrutinizing them carefully, but she still managed, although hardly, to not lower her head and fiddle her dress nervously.

"You're the first ones to get here. Congratulations. Actually, we have been informed that Academy students would come to the police station."

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Hatake Setsuka's brow twitch. She was getting impatient, apparently. She had hidden her hand behind her back but Sakura could see from her spot that she was closing it into a tight fist.

It seemed that her partner best asset wasn't her patience.

"Renji," one of the policemen called in a curt voice. "You're wasting her time."

"Make yourself useful and go inform Fugaku-sama in this case, _Satoshi_" _Renji _Pretty Boy muttered as he rolled his eyes, making his irritation obvious.

"I'll do it since you're a bunch of useless onigiris," the third one joked as he went to look for the policeman.

Renji Pretty Boy looked at them, amusement dancing on his eyes, "He's the clown of the Uchiha Station."

Blushing, Sakura smiled shyly at him as Hatake Setsuka grinned, a bit amused, it seemed.

The police chief himself arrived a few seconds later after Satoshi went to look for him.

Sakura was immediately impressed by the man's stature and by his aura. She knew without a doubt that he was strong. Very strong. He had a face quite strict and piercing eyes. His hair wasn't the characteristic pitch black the Uchihas usually arbored. No, they were more a dark shade of brown than ebony.

He radiated strength and a _will of iron._ If Namikaze Minato seemed to be a peaceful force, a wind that was first gentle but that could turn into a devastating tempest, the police chief gave of something rawer, more violent; and yet, paradoxically, all of this power seemed contained, kept captive, and minutiously locked.

Instinctively, Sakura straightened her chest slightly, fascinated.

_Wow! So much charisma!_

"Setsuka," he said in a composed voice. "I see that you arrived here quite quickly…"

His gaze landed on Sakura who wanted to shrink on the spot. However, she held his gaze in determination.

"... With your teammate. I expected as much from you, Setsuka. Well done as well, young lady."

She had almost the impression that he was about to ask her to introduce herself or something of the sort.

"Haruno Sakura, sir."

He nodded toward her. Sakura bit the inside of her cheeks as a strange feeling invaded her being. She found the police chief familiar, in a way. But she didn't know how that could be. She might have already met him in the village without really paying attention to him?

Impossible, she was certain that she would have remembered him. Because...wow.

"Good. Is this your first riddle?"

They both nodded.

"Do you know where you are?"

"The Uchiha police station," Hatake Setsuka replied immediately and it was strange to Sakura as her partner's answer had sounded like it sounded obvious. But once again, both of them visibly knew each other.

She thought that she perceived a small smile at the corner of the chief's lips, but it disappeared so quickly that she wasn't so sure.

"Indeed. We're at the police station."

"Remind me your riddle," he ordered.

Sakura took the lead, focused on Uchiha Fugaku. Somehow, she didn't want her partner to do all the work. It was a somewhat ridiculous impulse.

She recited, not needing not read her paper again. "I'm a shield, I find my power within the village and by my righteousness, I bring order and I help perpetuate a justice of fire."

"What words caught your attention?"

"Shield and justice of fire," Hatake Kakashi's sister answered before Sakura could.

"Power within the village." the pinkette continued, eager to be a part of this.

She wasn't to be discouraged by the girl's behavior. She could do it!

"Very good, girls."

He looked at them with his dark eyes, simultaneously impressive in his aura and expression, but reassuring in his calm voice and his gentle but strict eyes.

"The Uchiha Police is composed of ninjas. Of course, like any Konoha ninjas, we're loyal to the village and to the Hokage. While the ninjas are sent to missions outside, we, the Police, protect the civilians first and foremost. In the event of an invasion, we are there to protect them. We make sure order is maintained in the village and, above all, we are there to bring justice. No one should be punished unjustly. We escort the criminals to the prison outside Konoha and we take care of their sentence, most of the time with the help of the Hokage in some cases. Our priority is the well-being of the civilians but above all, order. A village without police would be a real challenge. Civilians also need to be defended. Instead of always going through the Hokage which has a lot of work, they go through us. Cases of disappearances, murders, anything. We are here."

He took a break. Captivated, amazed, Sakura drank every word he said, the slightest of his words. A police only for civilians. How on earth was she not aware of it? She knew of the police, but she didn't know that they specialized in civilians!

Still as charismatic as ever, his words flowed through her like water. Not only did he have the aura for it, but she loved what she heard!

"To be a policeman is to be fair. Like every ninja, we have the will of fire within us, but more importantly, we represent it. Do you know why?"

"Yes," said her teammate. "The Will of Fire comes from the Uchihas. The Shodai got this inspiration from observing the Uchiha Clan and his friend, Uchiha Madara."

_But how did she know that? She didn't read it in any books!_

Sakura couldn't help but open her eyes to this information and the chief of police gave her an amused look that made her want to bury herself.

"That's right, Setsuka-kun. The will of fire comes from the Uchihas. The Shodai founded this philosophy by observing the Uchiha clan and his friend, Uchiha Madara. The Uchihas are proof of this philosophy and so is Konoha village."

He took one paper out of his pocket and gave it to them, retrieving the other.

"Good. Would you like some cakes before you go back?"

Renji Pretty Boy passed them a cake and a bottle of water.

"Made by Mikoto-sama. You'll enjoy it!"

"Who's Mikoto-sama?" the pinkette asked.

"It's Fugaku-sama's wife."

.

.

.

.

Uchiha Fugaku was nice.

She really liked him. It was a shame that her partner, that seemed to know him and vice versa, had not half of his kindness.

Regret pinched her heart at her bad thoughts. She shouldn't judge people without knowing them, her mom said so.

On the other hand, Hatake Setsuka hadn't been the most understanding, caring and gentle girl here.

And they hadn't finished their exercise yet!

Sakura had done her best to follow her through the village and the shortcut that _she wasn't familiar with_. Thus, she could try to be a bit more _understanding. _

But the chief of the police...

_He had given them snacks!_

He was definitely one of her favorite people now. She was eager to tell her parents about this! She was sure that her mother would talk and make conversation a little more than usual with the policeman and that her father would not hesitate to wave at a police officer if he came across one.

She took another look at the Uchiha Police Station.

_Yep. Definitively like a plush. _

"Um, The Uchiha Police station looks like a plush, don't you think?" Sakura asked in a tone she hoped would be relaxed.

"Huh?"

Sakura saw a ghost of a smile on her lips and she got thrilled about it.

_I was able to break the ice!_

Then she frowned before squinting her eyes, "Be more serious, Haruno-san. We're in an exercise. Plus, it's not proper for you to mock the building of the Uchihas in this way. It's even unwelcome. Especially after what Fugaku-ojichan told us."

It was not the first time she noticed it, but Hatake Setsuka had more vocabulary than many children of their age.

The corner of Sakura's mouth turned down and she answered dryly for the first time. "It was a joke...I didn't mean to insult the Uchihas...and Uchiha Fugaku is awesome."

Sakura was a polite girl. She would _never_ mock anyone and especially _not_ honest people.

Hatake Setsuka, blinked, surprised by her tone?

Well, what had she expected? She was not kind at all with her, right now!

"I see," she finally replied slowly. " Sorry. I misunderstood."[1] [2]

Sakura nodded, relaxing.

As she drank her tea, Hatake Setsuka began to read the tiny paper the police chief gave them. Not wanting to give her any more reasons to think that she was lame, Sakura closed her water bottle before taking a determined step towards Hatake Setsuka.

Still trying to make an effort, she cleared her throat.

"What does it say? " she asked shyly.

Without a word, the silver-haired girl showed it to her.

_Without water, wood rots. Water can be stored by the wood. Knowledge allows us to know it._

She frowned.

That was a bit different from the previous riddle. It was less poetic and more as if they put one sentence after another one.

She blinked.

_Sakura don't be so secretive about your thoughts. You didn't even try to share some of your suggestions earlier, that's why Hatake-san must be so irritated...right? She must think you're letting her do all the work._

"This one is weird. It's less poetic and...much more complicated I guess."

"So?"

"Um, well, I guess, it could be something less impressive than the Police Station? We can never know what they really want us to understand. It could be anything. The solution is perhaps hidden in the way they phrased the riddle."

For Sakura, what she wanted to convey was clear. At least, she was sure that Shikamaru would have understood.

But that was not the case here.

Because her partner sighed.

_She sighed._

"What are you talking about? That's nonsense."She looked again at the riddle. "Or, I can see your point, but that's not relevant. You don't have a clue what you're talking about, aren't you?"

She creased her forehead, "If you don't have a clue about the riddle - or even about something- don't try to make things up. It can seriously endanger your teammates during a mission."

The lock of hair in front of her eye accentuated her sanctimonious air.

Sakura looked at her, gawking. She couldn't stop rubbing her chest, wounded.

She wasn't talking nonsense! She was really pondering about the riddle!

"We need to go and see the Hokage Mountain."

She began to run.

"Huh? What? Wait!"

As she began to run as well, she crossed paths with Uzumaki Naruto and...Shikamaru!

And _oh boy_...if she didn't know better, she could have thought that he was being hassled. He looked _terrible, _despair was seeping out of him.

Uzumaki Naruto opened his eyes when he saw Hatake Setsuka, before shouting, "SETSUKA-CHAN?! YOU'RE ALREADY HERE, DATTEBAYO?!"

Shikamaru took his head between his hands, breathless, his face red, his soul almost coming out of his body, "For Shodai's sake, Naruto, don't scream like that!"

Sakura did a double-take and her eyes widened at the sight of Shikamaru losing his temper. He was always so laid-back and composed usually.

Uzumaki Naruto blinked and looked at his partner curiously before a pout formed on his face. "I'm not screaming. I'm greeting my friend dattebayo, don't be jealous."

Shikamaru inhaled deeply, a shaky sound coming out of his mouth. He was most likely trying to calm himself. Subconsciously, Sakura felt for him. This exercise was apparently getting to both of them, and in retrospect, she was faring much better.

She raised her hand shyly and waved at him. "Hey, Shikamaru," she smiled tentatively.

When his eyes landed on her, he seemed to calm down imperceptibly; as if he were focusing on her familiar presence and trying to forget the last hour. "Hey."

Her smile widened, reassured by his reaction.

Beside them, Uzumaki Naruto joined Hatake Setsuka, and to her surprise, the girl was smiling broadly at him.

"First riddle?" she inquired.

Uzumaki Naruto grimaced at the obvious taunt. "Oh shut up! We're getting there, we'll catch up in no time you'll see!" he answered hotly. But then, in a more subdued voice and an apparent hesitation, he asked as if he was scared to hear her answer. "Don't tell me you got the second one…?"

His friend grinned, pride gleaming on her face. "I'm so going to win this bet, Naruto! !"

A loud groan was the only answer he managed to give, and Shikamaru and Sakura shared a look. The lazy boy let out a sigh that spoke of all the misery they had to put up with because of the challenge they had apparently given to each other. As for her, Sakura wondered if that was the reason why her classmate had been so impatient and competitive, always asking her to work _faster_ and doing mostly all the solving by herself.

"Anyway, I don't have time to waste," the silver-haired girl added hastily, and she clapped into Uzumaki Naruto's hand as he threw at her a huge smile, laughing before she turned her head to the pinkette, getting suddenly more serious. "Haruno-san, we're moving. Follow up better and hurry," she commanded.

Her sentence put a frown on Shikamaru's face, who narrowed his eyes at her and threw a quick glance at his friend.

Sakura gritted her teeth in silence but upon noticing the usually disinterested boy's look, she shook her head slightly and smile at him before she started running again, her teammate having already resumed her path.

Once again, her partner took a shortcut that Sakura wasn't even aware of. For Shodai's sake, did she know every nook and cranny of the village? Pranking people with her friends obviously paid off.

Sakura was starting to really feel tired. She was not used to running at this speed and pushing her body that much. Of course, she trained. But she trained according to her abilities, progressing little by little.

The fact that she can handle it should normally make her proud. It was not the case and she didn't recognize herself.

"Could you please run faster?" she asked again, seeming to be more determined now that she had seen her friend.

Her jaw tightened and she hissed without being able to hold back her jitteriness, "I'm trying."

_Calm down Sakura, calm down, she thought for perhaps the thousandth time._

Sakura's patience was running thin. Irritation was hard to contain and felt like a gentle stroke to her temper. It just wanted to break through its chains and spill out on Hatake Setsuka.

"No. Don't try. _Do it_."

Sakura nearly stopped to scream at her that she wasn't her father, her mother or any supreme deities with the right to tell her what she must do.

"Sure, Taicho." She couldn't help herself and let escape this sarcastic retort.

Her teammate didn't even glance at her.

She cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. "The Hokage Mountain because of the wood, the water and the knowledge?"

"Of course it's about it. It's the riddle," she answered her tone a little dry.

Sakura gritted her teeth,_ again. _

It could be logical. But Sakura wasn't so sure about it. It could be near the Hokage Mountain. It could be their graves. It even could be about the trees the Shodai created or the Naka River, even the Library. It could be those three places. When she thinks about it, the way the riddle was written could suggest that they should stop at these three places, like some sort of metaphor. It was even more logical if she assumed that it was the function of the dots they had put at the end of each sentence. They hadn't done that for the "Uchiha Police" riddle.

"Hatake-san! I'm not so sure about the Hokage Mountain!" she yelled as she tried to avoid a crate, breathless.

She threw her an annoyed look over her shoulder, "I'm sure about it. But do tell. Please, _don't make things up. _"

_Oh for Nidaime's sake, she was seriously losing her patience right now!_

"I don't want to jeopardize your bet," she said between her teeth. "Why are you so sure about the Hokage Mountain? Why couldn't it be, I don't know, near the Naka river? Or the forest? Or the library? And the way the riddle is phrased, don't you think it's strange?"

She thought she heard her partner muttering something between her teeth. She lowered herself, avoiding a staircase bar. Sakura mimicked her perfectly or at least tried to.

It was a lot less elegant, but at least, she didn't get the bar in the face.

"Are you aware that the Shodai - Senju Hashirama- was the wielder of the Mokuton? A mighty Kekkei Genkai? And that the Nidaime - you know Senju Tobirama- was the best water ninjutsu user to ever have existed? And the Sandaime - Sarutobi Hiruzen- is known as the "Professor", he is well versed in many ninja arts. To glorify their existence and their talents, and their greatness, we carve their face into the rock."

She sighed, again, "I don't even know why you want to visit the library, the forest of the Naka river. That's...well, that's not relevant."

"Because the Shodai - Senju Hashirama- created the forest around Konoha, maybe? Or the Nidaime - Senju Tobirama- was the best water ninjutsu user to ever have existed, I wonder? And the Sandaime - Sarutobi Hiruzen- is well versed in many ninja arts?" she replied, unable to contain her sarcasm, once again. "I don't think it's irrelevant -she dodged a wall in time, wincing-, why are you so sure about the Hokage Mountain?"

"I already told you. Their faces were engraved into the rock."

Sakura breathed in. "That's not a reason."

Hatake Setsuka suddenly stopped and turned round to look at her.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" she asked almost curiously.

The pinkette blinked, stunned, blushing of embarrassment. She could understand that she had a bet to win, but that was a not reason to be so damn annoying about this exercise!

"What are you talking about?"Sakura muttered, tired of her already. Gosh, and she thought they could maybe be friend? She was too insufferable!

"I'm asking you if you're doing it on purpose? We need to visit the inside of their head. It's obvious enough, don't you know that in every head, there's a glimpse of their power? Why would they waste our time like this making us visit the forest, the library, and the Naka river, when the most important things are inside their head? "

_What?_

Sakura lost her breath, eyes opening wide.

_A glimpse of their power?_

Her lone eye - the one she could see- was looking at her, an air of disbelieve coming out of it.

She articulated slowly, seeming almost speechless, "You didn't know about it? Unbelievable."

Then she started moving again, without waiting for an answer.

Sakura's belly twisted. She'd been on the wrong track all this time?

Hatake Setsuka understood so much right away. It was so frustrating! Clan kids have so much advantage compared to her. She hadn't read anything like that in the books! She didn't know.

"Are we going to see the inside of their head?"

"I dunno. Maybe or maybe not. The fact is that the Hokage Mountain _is_ the answer. When we talk about the Hokage, it's to the mountains that we turn to, to admire them. The power contained inside of their head is what the riddle is talking about."

"And what about the way it's written?"

"A ninja must always see underneath the underneath."

This sentence impressed Sakura, even though the meaning for a ninja was not something new. Because she was trying to see underneath the underneath. But she didn't, apparently.

That was so much more evident when she thought about it. The wood, the water and the knowledge represented the Hokage and their power. The dots were the way the Hokage were placed next to each other. The fact that it was so short and unpoetic was perhaps a metaphor, a way to say that they were so powerful that nothing could really describe them. That they were humble men and they don't need to have poetry written about them, even though they are spoken about with such respect and glorified with their face engraved in the Hokage Mountain.

Sakura didn't say anything all along, just doing her best to follow her. Her partner told her time to time to speed up, but overall, she was silent as well.

Sakura wasn't interested in making conversation with her anymore, anyway.

Her legs were burning, but she could hardly feel anything as she was immersed in her thoughts.

God... she felt so lousy. Intellectual exercises like this, it was supposed to be her thing!

They finally arrived at the edge of the forest.

"We're almost there."

They didn't take more than thirty seconds before they saw a small wooden staircase...from which Uchiha Sasuke and Yamanaka Ino leaped down.

A huge smile stretched her partner's face, the same one she had addressed to Uzumaki Naruto, "Knucklehead!"

Sakura could see a frown shaping his face from where they were as he replied in an annoyed voice, "Yes Mole ?!"

Although she couldn't contain her grimace, she was still smiling. "We're almost done with the exercise! Hurry up, Turtle!"

Sasuke squinted his eyes, clearly irritated, but he sent her a sparkling smile, "Really? We've got the paper for the second one! And I know exactly where to go!"

"A bet, Sasuke-kun?" Yamanaka Ino asked surprised; then she clenched her fists, eye on fire and put her arm under Uchiha Sasuke's, "We're going to beat you!"

He walked away, looking embarrassed, or bored, she wasn't sure. She knew Yamanaka Ino was one of the girls that loved Sasuke and found him cool.

He apparently knew it as well.

They wasted no more time and started running again. As they were running, she caught Uchiha Sasuke's eye. Her heart leaped, even though she was really not in the mood, and she held back from blushing with all her might. He was really cute.

Except that he squinted his eyes, giving her a black look. Disconcerted, but irritated enough by her partner, she scowled at him without holding back, not wanting to blush at all.

She was so _tired _of the Trio. Why were they so...so...argh!

As they reached the stairs, "Mole" didn't even bother to climb them one by one.

No. No, she didn't.

She climbed up a step, and jumped up, grabbing onto the rock. Sakura braked, looking at her with round eyes.

Then she started climbing. She was incredibly nimble, using her hands when needed while her knees and feet felt like they were stuck to the rock. Sakura didn't even take half a second to realize that she was using her chakra.

"Knucklehead!" she shouted.

Uchiha Sasuke turned round to look at his friend. He seemed surprised as well.

"Yep! I mastered that faster than you guys! I bet you won't be able to do the same for a week!"

"You wish, Mole!" he smirked, the competitiveness making his chin raised up.

"Sasuke-kun! We should go!" the pretty blonde complained.

They left and Sakura saw them disappear.

She bit her lip, wondering if she should follow Hatake Setsuka's example and climb as well.

She knew how to walk on walls.

But she couldn't climb rocks, for Kami's sake.

She looked down and stared at her sandals.

"Haruno-san?! What are you doing?"

"I'm coming!" she answered in an annoyed voice.

She went up the stairs one by one, as fast as she could. she was trying not to look down too hard. This huge emptiness was stressing her out.

Hatake Setsuka was at the top way before her, of course. The path she chose to use was much faster than climbing the staircase.

Someone was waiting for them upstairs. It was Umino-sensei.

He gently smiled at her.

"Sakura-kun, welcome! As I was saying to Setsuka-kun: congratulations! First of all, is it your first riddle?"

"No, the second one," Sakura answered.

"You're so close! One more and you're done. First of all, what was your riddle?"

Her teammate recited it.

Then, he looked at them seriously.

"Why did you come here? What do you understand about the riddle?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. There was something strange here. She assumed he was going to do like Uchiha Fugaku and explain to them, well, the importance of the Hokage?

Setsuka started. "In the riddle, there is wood, water and knowledge. It's obviously talking about the Hokage. Mokuton for the Shodai, Suiton for the Nidaime and all kinds of ninja knowledge for the Sandaime."

Sakura remained focused on Iruka, a bitter taste in the mouth. Boy, she really didn't like teaming up with that girl. She wasn't interested in anyone other than her two best friends and the remarks she had made to Sakura were rude and inappropriate. Usually, she was stronger than that, but she couldn't figure out why it stuck in her head so much.

Well, since she had seen her use her chakra to climb that way, she wasn't feeling well. She thought she was the only one in her class who knew how to use her chakra that way.

This was not the case.

"The way the riddle is phrased is kind of strange," Sakura said. She gently clenched her fists. She could at least use her head. "It was not like the Uchiha Station one. There are dots and the sentences are less poetic."

Umino-sensei's eyes became kind of deeper.

"It's surely a way to make us think the wrong way and to deceive us. A ninja have to always see underneath the underneath."

The pinkette slowly looked at her, out the corner of her eye. What the heck was she talking about? A way to deceive them?

"That's right both of you. What else?" the chûnin asked, smiling broadly.

"The glimpse of power inside the Hokage's head." Sakura blurted out as he blinked, seemingly surprised. "We are going to see it?"

She almost could sense the annoyed gaze of her partner.

"Yes sensei, we're wondering about it."

"It's true that in every Hokage's head, there is something called their legacy. Unfortunately, you're not going to see it, because you need special permission. And as Academy students, you don't have one."

He paused before continuing in a deep voice. "The Hokage," he began. "is the symbol of the village, the _Fire Shadow_. As you know, he's the most powerful being of the village, but above all, he's the one who sacrifices himself for Konoha."

He took a break. Sakura listened to him, fascinated. "For the Hokage, he said in a voice full of conviction, the village is like his family. And as a ninja, we must follow him to the end. We owe him loyalty, respect and trust."

Umino-sensei then watched them, smiling at them with great kindness. "The Hokage sacrifices himself for the good of the village and as a ninja we must follow his example. Shodaime-sama died in battle protecting Konoha from Uchiha Madara, Nidaime-sama protected the team he was leading at the risk of his life. And Sandaime-sama, although still alive, continually protected Konoha from other villages."

Sakura...well, she knew the story of Shodai-sama who had defeated Uchiha Madara and Nidaime-sama who had sacrificed himself for his team. But, strangely enough, she didn't really like the way it was told. He made it sound so solemn, so dark. That didn't seem_ right._

(Inwardly, since she met Uchiha Fugaku, she _couldn't _imagine that Uchiha Madara was as bad as he was portrayed. The Uchihas were the creator of the Will of_ Fire._)

She took a quick look at her teammate who was calmly looking at Umino-sensei. But her face was relaxed and she seemed really spellbound by his spirited speech.

But why did she feel so...weird? Maybe because he was a lot less charismatic than the chief of the police?

"Although the Hokage are humble beings, nothing can really measure their power and greatness. In Konoha, we honor them with the Hokage Mountain. It's by turning to the mountain that we can sometimes find inspiration to surpass ourselves enough and accomplish many things. It's by following their example that we can become true ninjas."

Sakura liked what he was saying right now better. She perfectly understood this feeling; Namikaze Minato made her feel it every day. He motivated her and pushed her to surpass herself, to show who she was.

Although today's exercise was a complete failure. She was clearly not up to it, not yet to progress on the flee-on-sight path.

A noise was heard. People were actively climbing them.

He clapped his hands. "I'm very proud of you, Setsuka-kun, Sakura-kun! Now, I'm going to give you your last riddle."

Umino-sensei ruffled their hair and Sakura took a step back, surprised. He gave them their third tiny paper of the day the moment two groups arrived at the top of the stairs.

They stormed out the stairs, not looking at each other and dodging the students that were rushing towards Umino-sensei. When they reached the bottom, Hatake Setsuka didn't waste any time and opened the paper.

_Without it, we cannot become what we want to become. With it, it's the beginning of everything. _

That was it?

Seriously?

They were training to become ninjas. Their journey started with their formation at school.

That was so simple. She was sure it was about the Academy.

But...didn't her partner say that they must see _underneath the underneath_?

"Let's go," she said, a hint of excitement running through her voice. She seemed almost out of place. It was probably at the thought of winning their bet.

Her teammate started to run, leaving a very disbelieving Sakura behind. She wasted no time in following her.

To think that she was so motivated at first...

Her stomach still twisted thinking about how effective Hatake Setsuka was. She didn't even need her help, she could have completed the exercise on her own.

This all exercise was a mascarade.

What could she do with a teammate who only thought about...about…

She wanted to ask her if they shouldn't discuss the riddle, but honestly? She was just annoyed and tired. She knew she'd have aches tomorrow and she just wanted to get it over with so she could go home.

Without wasting any time, she ran towards the Academy alongside her partner. Hatake Setsuka was still ahead of her, but at this point, Sakura didn't care anymore.

As soon as they reached the courtyard of their school, they spotted a figure in ninja attire whose gaze was fixated on the entrance, seeming to be waiting for them.

It was Mizuki-sensei who welcomed them. He was waiting near the huge tree in front of the entrance of the Academy, where a swing was hanging from a branch. It had always,_ always _intimidated Sakura. She had the impression that the tree had no end, that it literally pierced the sky. The tree was imposing and looked _mean. _Mean like the people who had been bothering her in the park, mean like Ami. It made her feel like she was a tiny, useless thing. Something weak. It was exactly the kind of feeling she felt in that cursed park, it was exactly the kind of thoughts she had fought with all her might. Sometimes, she would stand in front of it for a long time, as if she was challenging it. She imagined those people who laughed at her, at her forehead until she cried. She imagined hitting them until next week, giving them a powerful punch with all her might.

She wanted to do the same with that tree but she was always been too shy for it. She didn't want people to see her.

And right now, she didn't even want to look at the tree.

Not with Hatake Setsuka beside her.

Mizuki-sensei was leaning against the trunk, seemingly waiting for them to come to him. He smiled at them.

"Sakura-kun, Setsuka-kun, how are you?"

"Good, and you Mizuki-sensei?" asked her teammate.

"We're good Mizuki-sensei," Sakura said shyly.

"So, it's your third and last location, you know that?"

They nodded.

He straightened up, looking more serious, but his eyes were still friendly.

(Sakura thought for the thousandth time that he was a _Jônin_.)

He began to speak.

"First of all, you're the first one to arrive."

He smiled. Mizuki-sensei would not ruffle their hair, however, his approbation was clear. Sakura felt a small amount of pride burning in her heart. While she would normally have been overjoyed, she felt only a little satisfaction.

"Congratulation, Setsuka-kun, Sakura-kun. I'm very proud of you. Now, I'll not ask you what was your riddle. Everyone has the same third riddle."

Hatake Setsuka's smile was huge.

Sakura looked at Mizuki-sensei, waiting for the riddle's explanation.

"_Without it, we cannot become what we want to become. With it, it's the beginning of everything." _he recited. "The Academy is the beginning. It's the start of your hardship, of your ninja years, of your friendship. It's…"

He paused, searching his words. Somehow it was her turn to be fascinated by his explanation. She felt that in his own way Mizuki-sensei was as charismatic as the chief of police.

He continued. " It's the start of one of your ninja achievements. The Academy is here to help you. A solid basis will allow you to improve and create your own fighting style. Right now, you're learning the Konoha's academic style. As you gain experience, you'll have your own little techniques. But for now you must have solid knowledge, both physical and mental. The Academy will follow you along the way. Even though autonomy is important, know that you can count on your teammates, but also on your teachers."

He looked at them, solemnly.

"We're here for you."

Sakura's heart warmed up. The stone on her belly didn't seem so heavy for a short moment.

"You can go now," Mizuki-sensei said, still waiting for people. "You're done for the day. Know that tomorrow, you'll discuss this in class."

As Hatake Setsuka stood on the other side of the tree waiting for her friends, her fists tight on both sides, as if to contain her enthusiasm, Sakura turned away, thinking that she hadn't even had a goodbye word for her.

She was tired, for Shodai''s sake. She wanted to take a shower and hide in bed. She took the opportunity to throw away her water bottle.

She started walking, wincing a little. Her feet were hurting, she'd really pushed on them.

And, at that moment, something strange happened.

While the stone was still in her belly, it started to weigh heavy again, so heavy, she knew she couldn't leave like that.

Not after this day.

She_ couldn't _leave like that. She couldn't leave without telling her that her behavior hadn't been correct.

She breathed in.

She breathed out.

"Hatake-san."

Her voice was firm but kind. Her mother always told her to be kind even when she needed to be firm.

( It always worked on her father when her mommy gave him a very calm look when he left his stuff lying around sometimes. Sakura looked at her father with a very curious look when he turned pale and picked up the things with an almost panicked smile.)

She looked up at her. Sakura did her best to ignore Mizuki-sensei's gaze. The silver-haired girl frowned a little, but she kept her composure. "Yes, Haruno-san?"

"Can I talk to you? In private. I don't want to disturb people that would arrive here soon."

Already she could hear people running this way.

For a split second, Sakura thought she would refuse, but she finally nodded her head.

"Mizuki-sensei, can you tell Sasuke and Naruto that I got here first?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, Setsuka-kun. Sakura-kun."

He nodded at her. Sakura gave him a faint smile.

.

.

.

.

The pinkette took her to the forest. She didn't want Mizuki-sensei to hear them, her stomach was twisting and she felt stressed.

She walked for a few more seconds, making sure that she disappeared between the trees so that they could no longer be seen.

"How long are we going to walk for?"

"I just don't want anyone to hear us, Hatake-san."

She stopped and turned to her, clearing her throat. "I want to talk to you about today's exercise. Honestly, Hatake-san, I don't think you've been fair to me. You didn't take the time to consider my opinions, and you rushed in whenever you had the conundrum…it's a synonym for riddle." she added when Hatake Setsuka blinked.

She hesitated. "Anyway. That's not what a ninja of Konoha should do. You should have taken account of my opinion."

"I think that's the funniest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Her answer was so dry that she surprised her.

"What?" she let out. When Sakura looked up, the girl's black eye was hard. Her jaw was a bit tight.

"Are you trying to tell me what a ninja's like? You're trying to tell me what a ninja's like? You?"

She frowned, still looking at her coldly. "You're trying to make me the bad guy here? I _let _you express your opinion. They were not just_ relevant. _"

Hatake Setsuka said this word with...pride? She pronounced it slowly as if she were testing it.

She shook her head, almost stunned, and mumbled, "I can't believe it."

Then, "Mole" looked at her, her black eye expressing nothing, just curiosity and…disdain?

This made Sakura's blood run _hot._

"Well, at least, you're smart on in the Academy tests, although I don't understand how, given the answers, you gave me on the exercise." Hatake Setsuka said. "I didn't want to tell you this, but in the end you need to know it: that won't be enough on the field. You need skills. So, you can't tell me what a ninja _could do._"[3] [4]

Her black eye landed on her hair and Sakura swore she saw the corner of her lips rise.

As if something amused her.

Hatake Setsuka soon shared her thoughts with her, "And with your pink hair…"

She snorted and shrugged. "You're really noticeable. _Not very ninja-like._"

Sakura's insecurities slapped her straight on the face and her throat tightened. She clenched her fists discreetly and replied, in an extremely dry and somewhat brutal voice, "Your hair is silver, just a reminder."[5] [6]

The "so keep your mouth shut" was so suggested.

She blamed herself the next second.

_Do not show anything, Sakura._

To make up for her mistake, she looked her in the eyes, very calmly. She held her gaze and did not look away.

Something akin to surprise maybe – or anger- flashed through Hatake Setsuka's eyes but it was only for seconds, "Indeed. But I can fight. It doesn't seem to be your case. You will not last long at this rate. "

"You don't know anything about me," Sakura muttered between her teeth, not letting go of her gaze. "I can fight. I will fight."

This, seemed to surprise Hatake Setsuka and she narrowed her eyes. " Yes, you scored first on written exams and your shurikenjutsu skills are mostly passable. You're always the last on taïjutsu classes, your skills on tags are hardly passable. Don't even let me begin with the hide-and-seek game. Even if you can hide in good places, you always leave traces behind, so easy to track down."

She paused as if to permit her to process what she was saying to her. It was like she was lecturing her or something.

"You're just a bookworm, you may know a word like the synonym of "riddle" but I'm strong and smart. My taïjutsu is the best of the class as well as my skills in shurikenjutsu. Not even talking about the tag game or the hide-and-seek. I will survive even with my hair. In fact, it will give me a reputation."

Her tone became dry. "But you? Don't get me started. Konoha enhances teamwork. It's important to be able to count on your comrades. But you'll just be a liability. You're not naturally made to fight. I always had to tell you to hurry. You're too slow. Even if you could become a genin, you'd even be lucky to become a chûnin."

She turned halfway, as if the conversation was over. "And even now, on a simple exercise, you were not useful. You were too slow, barely able to dodge the obstacles. In short, you're weak. The riddles were easy enough, yet you've struggled with them. Your exams test scores are nothing, it seems. Because on the field, you're not useless physically speaking and not good enough strategically speaking. And if you're only interested in your appearance, which seems to be the case with that red ribbon you're carrying around on your skull and that green dress, then it's not even worth it. Maybe you're interested in seduction? For later?"

Sakura blinked, flabbergasted.

She gave her a haughty look. "Even for this profession, you have to be up to speed. Undercover is no joke."

Anger began to take a shape in Sakura, as if her brain was taking a little time to understand what she was telling her.

_What? What?! It's a joke. It must be joke. _

"Wait, wait, wait," she said, both hands in front of her, disbelief written on her face as if she was trying to process the situation, failed because it was so goddamn ridiculous and tried again, because _what on the earth. _"Just, who the heck do you think you are to begin with?"

At this question, the silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow. Sakura gritted her teeth. Seriously?

"Yeah, I'm asking who do you think you are. You heard me right. I'm waiting. Tell me. I fail to see. I fail to understand."

She glanced at Sakura, looking down at her from under her eyelashes before saying in an extremely cold voice, all mighty and obviously thinking that the sun shines out from her behind, "This question is stupid. I'm what I'm. And I'm Hatake Setsuka."

Sakura blinked, in awe. Wow. Just...wow. That level of confidence was amazing and while Sakura admired people who didn't belittle themselves, this was more than that. Arrogance was just arrogance.

The pinkette pursed her lips, the anger still there, this girl was just unbelievable. First, she belittled her, judging her on abilities while thinking she could tell her what to do with her future. She thought she could decide in her place. And then she dared to say that she was listening to her during the exercise?

What a joke. That was rich. Sakura was boiling from the inside, she wasn't even trying to have a mature conversation with her anymore.

"That's right. You are just Hatake Setsuka. Which means that you are no one. I can certify you that you are no one."

Bullseye. The pinkette almost smirked. She wanted to play with her on a battle of words? She was going to lose so badly. Sakura might be shy. She might possibly not be as confident as she wanted to be - and it was normal, knowing it was not a sign of weakness but of strength- but may the sky strike her down if she let her think she could talk to her like she would talk to someone worthless.

Jaw slightly tightening. Narrowed eyes. Lip corner pulled down by a frown.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who can't jump over a crate without tripping. This someone is at the Academy learning to be a ninja."

Sakura blinked and looked at her, astonished. She breathed, slowly, trying to ease the pain on her chest.

What she was saying was really hurting her. It was hurting her and it shouldn't. It shouldn't! How could she allow her to achieve such a feat?! This arrogant girl! Her teeth tightened and she almost hissed.

Her temper was walking on a thin line and it would take nothing to make her snap badly. She was a gentle girl, a tender one. She was always so polite and her parents would often say that she had been a blessing when she was younger and even now. She'd never had a temper tantrum. But right now, she was about to explode.

"Excuse-me, atta girl," and there was something deeply sarcastic in the tone of her voice, a bitter bite as well, but she swallowed it like a sour tea, "but you're here, so proud of your academic achievements and mocking my own... yet, I didn't hear anything about you possibly graduating this year. In just one year. Like Uchiha Itachi…"

A smile, a saccharine smile, an innocent eyelash beat as she dropped the bomb, with a sweet honey-like tone, "...or Hatake Kakashi."

Oh.

Oh.

Double Bullseye. Triple one even. Wow.

Fury, pure anger flashed in her eyes and for a second there, Sakura thought she was going to get hit. Badly. It was an emotion in its raw state and it literally crystallized her face, the lines of her features became more prominent, she was exulting wrath.

Sakura's body froze before it tightened up. Her breath stopped and she unconsciously clenched her fist, ready to...to...to...fight for her life if necessary.

Come at me, she thought spark of anger coloring her cheeks. Come at me!

Excitement. The rush of something inside of her.

And then nothing more. The girl calmed down, took a deep breath and then looked at her right in the eyes.

Hatake Setsuka repeated herself, once again, it seemed she couldn't stop talking, it seemed she had nothing to say to what Sakura told her, "I repeat : even for this exercise, you were not useful. This was a piece of cake. if you couldn't even do a simple exercise like that, how do you plan to do the ones that will be given later? The first year at the Academy also serves as a year to filter out people who can't be ninja. They usually leave on their own. Why don't you do the same? You've seen how hard you're struggling with physical activities. It's not my case. Your intelligence alone isn't enough. I don't even understand how you stayed until the middle of the year. You only seem to focus on written exams and on your looks."

Then "Mole" gave her a look full of hatred. " And you dare to tell me anything? Maybe I haven't graduated yet, but we're in **peacetime**. Which means there's no need for it. The fact that you don't know something this basic, alongside the Hokage's power and the Uchiha Police is alarming and shows that I'm right about you."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched and her throat tightened. That she insulted her physical abilities was one thing. Even if it had hurt her in a small dark part of her being, it was not a problem. Because she knew she could improve. Because she knew her weaknesses.

It was fine.

But this,_ this_, she couldn't. She couldn't stand it when people questioned her knowledge. Her intelligence. It was literally all she has for the time being. It was hers. Hers. Something she has by the virtue of being born. By the fact that she also cultivated it, that she trained her brain by reading a bunch of books, even the Uchiha's clan Kekkei Genkai or the Hyuuga's one. Her intelligence was her Kekkei Genkai. Her hard work was her Kekkei Genkai.

She clenched her fists.

(Bullseye for Hatake Setsuka. One that equated to a triple one.)

It wasn't like she could be aware of that anyway, was it?

"And you still don't understand when I tell you you've been a liability?"

"Because you didn't let me do anything!" Sakura exclaimed, furious, her temples beating at a thousand miles an hour, her heart was hurting her. Her mean words reached her, it reached her and it made her sick. Who the hell did she think she was to judge her?! She had not anyone like "Kakashi-nii" to help her! She had nobody! She was her own achievement! " I understood the riddles! I'm not stupid! I tried to let you see my point of view but you didn't care! You were just focused on your stupid bet! Besides, people can progress. You're being ridiculous! I don't need your negative opinion about myself, thank you very much. You don't know me at all. Stop trying to discourage me, it won't work." She added powerfully and the fact that she knew that it was a lie, now, made her want to cry. She felt like she used to, in that park where they were bothering her. Weak and small. Hatake Setsuka was standing in front of her, strong, smart, confident. She had very good friends, people who were like older brothers to her. She knew what she worth.

So, why did she feel the need to lower her down? When she obviously knew that she was better? _For now dang it._

"Ninja should be able to adapt to their partners. That was not the case for you. I was the one who tried to adapt to you, you would have slowed us down. People can progress, indeed. But you're not talented enough. I would advise you to quit. For your own good, your comrade's and the village's reputation."

"Ow, look at you, trying to outsmart me even though I wipe the floor with your face in terms of my academic performance even with my "non-basic knowledge". Honestly, that's so _cute_," she purred though her eyes were viciously sparking with anger.

(A light of irritation in her dark orbs before quickly dying off.)

She wanted to dryly laugh.

Sakura's ones hardened. "And tell me, because I'm curious: how do you know that I would always be this "weak", Great Hatake Setsuka? You have a secret Kekkei Genkai, one that allows you to see in the future, maybe?" she continued without missing a beat before sneering, not being able to keep her temper on the check. She just wanted to punch her into next week. It seemed she couldn't stand people who think they can judge her value by their own conceited standards. "Please, stop your nonsense."

She looked her straight in the eyes, firmly determined not to let her walk on her feet. To end this ridiculous argument here and there.

( Maybe she could one day call her Setsuka-chan? Well, now, her illusions were shattered.)

"Or more precisely, your...your bullshit."

The Hatake girl nearly gasped but Sakura continued without worrying about it. Yet, she had never seen her making that kind of expression before. It was strange.

And anyway, she didn't know her.

(And she didn't want to know her. Not anymore. )

" You do have a problem with me, don't you? If you have something to tell me, do it now. I don't like to waste my time and you are wasting my time, trying to be mean with me! When I didn't do anything to you at all! You moron!"

She had almost shouted that last sentence. Sakura felt many things, anger, shame, sadness, she felt inferior to this girl.

It reminded her too much of that damn park. Again.

Sunny hair. Gentle smile. Cloak gently floating.

She took an inspiration, managing to chase away her unpleasant memories, replacing them with others, another one, which she held close to her heart and almost jealously hid.

It was her secret and her gift.

"It's an advice." Hatake Setsuka retaliated almost smugly and Sakura knew that she had she got a little bit of the upper hand. Because she had lost her temper. And in a fight between two shinobis, those who couldn't keep their cool inevitably lost. Read, die.

"You can put it where the sun doesn't shine," she, however, muttered quick as a flash. She would be damned if she let her walk on her feet. And yes, she knew what it means and that was not very polite, but, _well_.

She really didn't care at this point. If only she knew some stinging f-bombs to threw at her.

Sakura clenched her teeth and tried to keep her breathing calm. She did not let go of her eyes as the silence dragged on between them.

If she thought she was going to look away, she was kidding herself: she straightened her little chin up. She had been too kind to her.

Hatake Setsuka's gaze was very hard. Her black eyes appeared to her as endless wells. It was a glance battle and the more Sakura supported her gaze, the more the girl's face was losing its composure. Her features froze and a grimace of ire deformed her lips.

_Who was losing the verbal struggle, now?_

The next second, her impassive mask reformed almost promptly on her features… but her eyes, -oh, her eyes -were saying so much.

She muttered, tone full of scorn, "I hate weak and girly people like you."

This, this made Sakura lose it for some weird reasons.

The line was torn in two.

Her temper was fully unleashed.

(Or, maybe she was waiting for something like that?

Some part of her, the animal part roared, her blood becoming fire.)

With a growl, she pivoted on her foot and threw her fist at full speed towards her face, making a perfect bow.

She just wanted to crush her nose!

And in a small corner of her head, the pinkette thought she had never thrown such a beautiful punch before.

Unfortunately, this did not last. Within a matter of seconds, her opponent had her under control.

She avoided her punch with disconcerting ease, grabbing her wrist and suddenly dragging her to the ground, using the momentum she had put in her attack.

She crashed into the ground with such force that she had to hold back a cry of pain. The humiliation burned her belly, so hard that a ball formed in her tight throat. She wanted to hide, to dig a deep hole in the ground and never come out again.

No. Never.

She pushed her nails into the palms of her hand and got up quickly, not wishing to lie on the floor, not wishing to feel inferior. Her cheeks were burning but she continued to stare at Hatake Setsuka's face, whose only expression was a single raised eyebrow.

As if she was telling her "what have you been trying to do?"

A real contempt, now, was shaping her features. Her sole visible eye was watching her with a clinical coldness.

Sakura didn't let go of her eyes while all the self-confidence she had built up since that famous day in the park, all that motivation she was so proud of was slowly being destroyed.

No!No! No! She would not let her crush her spirit!

Without warning, she ran into her. Her mind was both clear and tumultuous. As long as she hadn't punch her, she wouldn't feel great. She wouldn't feel like her confident, determined self.

She hated how she was feeling. She hated it, hated it, hated it. She will crush it like a cockroach!

She would regain the entirety of her confidence. Not the crumbs she was desperately trying to gather.

Focus!

Stronger than her? check.

Faster? check.

Hidden ninja talent? Surely. Check.

But smarter than her? No way.

_I need to dodge her, not only focus on taïjutsu because she'll beat me in two seconds. As she did earlier, Sakura thought bitterly, but, I can outsmart her. I can. I have to use my surroundings to my advantage. I have, no, I need to be cunning. Even if I don't win...even if I want to win and I don't, I must land a hit on her. I must_.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, the wheels of her mind quickly started to work, the mechanism switched on. It was as if something had triggered in her.

A piece that has been put back in place.

It was strange.

She had entered a second state. Her thoughts rushed through her head at a mad speed and yet none of them got tangled up. She was able to distinguish them one by one, with a dazzling celerity.

The world seemed to be getting slower. She could see Hatake Setsuka in front of her, could see by looking at her neck the calm rhythm of her heart, so calm, her shoulders relaxed, her posture suggesting that the person in front of her, Sakura, _wasnotadanger!_

She could almost feel the buzzing of her chakra and it was so weird. But she didn't really pay much attention to it. It was just... there.

Even more strange, she felt that Hatake wasn't going to move now.

As if...

She had the strong and odd impression that they did not share the same...time. At least, not the same notion of time.

She didn't dare to breath out.

No kicking. She wasn't good enough in taijutsu -yet- so she could afford to kick Hatake Setsuka. She would lose her center of gravity, lose her support. Without it, she would end up on the ground! Besides, she was still depending on her support leg, she could only somewhat perfectly kick with her left's one.

The girl with silver hair could make her fall in ten differents ways anyway, but, she wasn't going to make it easier for her to do so.

If she fell down, she'd lose. She will be immobilized on the ground and she had never tried wrestling before. Perhaps Setsuka was stronger than her physically. It was very likely.

For the time being.

There was no way she was going to lose this fight. Not this easily at least.

Sakura is angry, so angry, her wrath taking on violent red hues, which partially obscured her mind. But her brain and her rational part did not stop working. She knew her strengths and her weaknesses.

(And that was one of the features of a real shinobi. )

So, yeah, no kicking.

Think.

Dodging. Punching. Cunning tactics. Misleading actions. The ideal would be a long-distance fight, I don't think she's ever trained in long-distance combat...isn't she? Anyway, I don't have any training at long-ranged fight so it's an alternative to forget. Dang it.

(She'll show her if she was a weak girl who knew nothing about ninja life. She's going to teach her that she shouldn't underestimate her again. Never.)

"Are you aware that glaring at me to death will not make me afraid of you the slightest?" Hatake Setsuka's voice broke through her concentrated mind and she glared at her, processing her words.

"You, Hatake Setsuka, seem to think that I care about your opinion," she replied with all the coldness she could muster, before adding with a spike of sarcasm, "Graduation girl."

And wasn't it fantastic? She managed to send her arrogance back to her face, mocking her again, hitting right into what seemed to be her weak spot.

She felt a pang of raw satisfaction.

Her gaze couldn't be colder. "Playing brave won't get you anywhere. I put you down in one move, I can still do it."

She stiffened.

Graduation girl knew how to hit in her weak spot as well.

Sakura straightened up with her whole body and muttered between her clenched teeth, "Are you threatening me now? You think I'm afraid of you?"

"Think what you want. You're not worth it after all. I've already wasted enough time as it is."

Sakura rushed towards her. Her blood was boiling and her brain was loose. She was going to leave? After humiliating her? After lowering her? Never.

Never.

She would be ashamed of it afterward: she could have planned a little more than that. She could have done a lot more. She could...she just could.

Staying at a distance neither too far nor too close, Sakura threw her fist, making sure that Setsuka did not touch her.

She wasted no time.

Immediately after, she threw her second fist straight to her, under her chin.

With a quick succession of steps, she tried to be as seamless as possible, while attempting to shield herself as much as possible. Anger was giving her more velocity than usual, _much more._

It was as if her wrath was the trigger of those newly acquired…skills? Or, rather, the _improvement_ of her skills.

While Setsuka was dodging all her moves with impressive speed for a student at the Academy, Sakura's anger reached its peak. She was so annoying! She pissed her off with her absolutely perfect physical test scores, her arrogance, her self-confidence, her ninja background!

_If only she was humble! She wasn't even humble!_

With a grunt of pure rage, she suddenly backs away, flips and sends her foot as far as she can to try to reach the girl.

She heard a kind of surprise whistle, but her foot only sliced through the air. She landed perfectly on her legs, her teeth clenched, her eyes flashing.

The Hatake had deported in time to avoid her attack.

Setsuka stopped moving and looked at her unimpressed, but there was still a small glimmer of surprise in her eyes.

Before she smiled. That little smirk so condescending that she wanted to smash his skull.

"That's better but not enough. It'll never be enough," she said, tilting her head to the side, perfectly calm. " You can at least move your body properly. Which surprises me. It's not far from mediocre, though. You're clumsy and your movements are predictable."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. By this point, her anger had turned cold, it was no longer a fire storm but a snowstorm. Her blood was pounding at her temples, the pressure was slowly but surely falling, but it was still violent. She wanted to hurt her. So she attacked what seemed to be her weak point. If she destabilized her enough she could punch her in the face. That was all that mattered.

She articulated very slowly, "Hatake Kakashi."

Instinctively, without even thinking about it, her hand sprang up like lightning and grabbed the collar of her T-shirt, whereas Hatake Setsuka had made hers spring up first, clutching her dress in her clenched fist until it became white. She didn't know what had gotten into her, honestly, but it was as if she had figured out what she was going to do.

Their fists shot out at the same time. Only one of them made contact with its target.

Sakura felt her fist being deflected effectively.

Sakura sensed that we were being devoured. was effectively denying his fist. Mole twisted her arm before she mowed down her legs, throwing her off balance.

The silver-haired girl didn't let go of her arm.

Her voice was icy cold. She pressed a little more on Sakura's arm and the pinkette grimaced. It was okay. She was supple. "You've lost."

Shame burned her again.

"You didn't manage to touch me once. That's so lame."

She clenched her teeth. "Listen to me very _well._ Even if you beat me to death, I'd come back from the dead to haunt you and drive you crazy. My mind will never be extinguished."

She wanted to throw up when she realized that she didn't even believe in her own words. Two hours before, she would have pronounced them with unfailing certainty.

Her opponent opened her mouth and her voice resounded, clear and icy, "Weak." And somehow Sakura believed she heard Uchiha Sasuke.

The only girl in the Trio did not waste any more time and left. She left. Like that. She did not left like anybody would left, like Sakura would left. No, she left like a shinobi. One second she was there…and the other, she disappeared.

The "poof" thingy.

The pinkette clenched her fists, her jaw threatening to break as she squeezed it so tightly.

The "poof" thingy! She had seen ninja do it before. Not only was she able to use her chakra to climb up the mountain, but she could do this as well!

It was not for nothing that she chose to leave in this way. She could very well have left in a more conventional way, letting her look at her back.

But no, no, no.

She had chosen this shinobi-like manner to leave. After saying to her all those bad things. After humiliating her.

She was belittling her again. Her hair, her attitude, her strength.

Her resolve!

And Sakura had done nothing!

She had done nothing.

An immeasurable rage formed in her belly as the humiliation took on a bitter taste in her mouth.

A ball was blocking her throat. This ball was screaming, struggling, beating her throat.

It grew bigger, bigger, bigger and Sakura couldn't hold on. From the depths of her being, a howl of rage resounded in the forest. She threw her head back and almost roared.

(Almost was the keyword)

No tears threatened to run down her cheeks, no, pure anger shone in her eyes.

Her body was shaken by resentment and she saw red. Her fist clenched suddenly and she threw her fist violently against the tree, in a fierce growl. She threw it out with all her might.

_Damn you, Hatake Setsuka!_

In her fury, she did not realize that she had accidentally concentrated her chakra in her fist.

She also did not realize that she made the tree tremble, tearing off some of its bark and leaves in the process.

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Needless to say that she felt _sick._

Which reminded her that, now, Hatake Setsuka, "Mole", will be known as "Graduation girl."

_You were not useful._

The pinkette frowned, upset.

_I hate weak and girly people like you._

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. She saw pink her and green eyes, she saw what she'd always seen.

What was wrong with liking "girly" things? Yes, she liked to brush her hair and to smell extra nice. Yes, she liked to sometimes wear cute dresses. Yes, she liked to wear pretty things on her head, especially ribbons. Yes, yes, yes. _What_ was wrong with that?! She was always serious in her training and in class! She knew that being a shinobi was no joke. She wanted to be strong.

She wasn't _weak._

She _wasn't_ weak! She had nobody! Nobody! No one in her family was a shinobi. No one could help her or train her! She was building herself! She wanted to be as strong as the Fourth.

She wanted to be a "flee-on-sight".

_You're not talented enough._

She clenched her teeth, "Not talented enough, my ass!" she growled at her reflection on the mirror, before looking around, afraid that her mother may have heard her.

_I would advise you to quit. For your own good, your comrade's and the village's reputation._

Sakura clenched her fist before hitting the wall next to the mirror. The pain exploded on her arm and she held back a cry of pain, her teeth sinking into her lower lip until she hurt it.

"Advise me to quit?" she muttered, still not being able to calm down. "You can take a hike, Graduation girl. "

She snorted, but there was no humor, "For my own good? My comrade and the village's reputation? What did the village's reputation have to do with it, anyway?"

Sakura's smile was huge and bloody, her dimples making it more striking, "She wants to play? Then, I would _advise_ her to watch her back. I will become a great shinobi. I will become so strong that nobody, especially Hatake Setsuka, can _disrespect_ me and _insult _my _spirit._ I would become flee-on-sight. And unlike her and her little group of friends, I will build myself with my own hands!"

_Alone._

Something had changed in her.

She didn't really want to dwell on it but all through the exercise she had felt useless. She kept seeing that girl's back, her back and her short silver hair. She had seen her efficiency, she had seen her strength and how she knew many things she didn't _know_.

She had to guess them, _unlike_ Hatake Setsuka! And it wasn't even_ right. _

_She had seen the gap between them._

Because even if she had always been aware of it...she didn't think it was that bad.

It had destroyed her self-confidence. Not because Hatake was stronger than her.

Because she had found _no_ interest in cooperating with her. She was seeing above Sakura. Now Sakura was starting to see it. She was telling her that she was _not_ worth it.

The pinkette tsked and slammed both her cheeks, before looking at herself in the mirror again. She slowly articulated to herself, green eyes looking at green eyes, "You're strong Sakura. You're strong. You will become even more strong. Stronger than anyone. A strong mind in a strong body. Don't forget your objectives: flee-on-sight. As strong as the Fourth. Even more. And it's not some random people that are going to talk you out of it."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them again.

"If you bend to every obstacle, then you are not worthy to be a shinobi."

She frowned, determined.

"I'm worthy of it."

Sakura repeated, a bit louder, " I'm worthy of it."

"Worthy of what?"

Her father's voice was full of curiosity as she jerked off, biting a cry of surprise.

"Daddy! You scared me!"

He raised an eyebrow, looking questioning. A little gleam sparkled in his eyes but she didn't know how to decipher it.

Soon, embarrassment sneaked into her and she turned peony red.

"Since when are you here?" she squealed, deeply ashamed.

"Hmm, after you gave yourself that little motivational speech and said loud and clear that you were strong? Or just when you were yelling at anyone who would listen that you were worthy?" he wondered aloud, banging his cheek with his finger, " I don't know what to pick, my darling angel."

She flushed, again, and grumbled. Sometimes, she understood her mother. Her father was always so clingy with her and she loved him. He could also be very serious and severe when necessary.

But he really liked to tease. She was lucky, he was a cinnamon roll with her – and with her Mom as well of course. But it was not the same relationship. She didn't understand much of it if she was honest with herself. Her Dad looked at her mother in a very special way. In a way she had never really understood.

But she knew he loved them very dearly. He smiled at her, fondly.

For Sakura, it was the trigger. Her eyes filled with tears and she hugged him, her little body swallowed up by her father's much larger one.

"Now, now…" he breathed gently, his deep voice being nothing more than a soft whispering rocking her.

Sakura couldn't stop crying. But she didn't feel ashamed, never in front of her father. These tears that she hated so much were never a real problem for her when she showed them to her parents. Of course, she had never told them that she had been bullied…but showing them that she cried? That she could cry? In front of them? Without any hesitation?

That had never been a problem.

She hugged her father even tighter and he gently lifted her up as she buried her head against his neck. He started going back and forth in the bathroom.

"It…it…was during a special exercise today," she began before hiccupping.

The words flew out of her mouth, when she took short breaks to breathe in, her shoulders shaken with tears, her father rubbed her back to reassure her.

"There's this girl - she's really good you know? She's smart and strong and she has a family of ninjas, so she's aware of many things that I didn't even know existed," she explained, her eyebrows frowning as she remembered Setsuka's vivacity during the exercise. "We… we had to work together today, and it made me a bit angry that I always felt like I was behind."

She leaned back to look in her father's eyes with conviction. Shigure watched her calmly, listening to her attentively. "But I was trying! I _did_ understand what we were doing, even though my answers were not good at first. I just… wasn't as quick, sometimes. And…," she bit her lower lip, and breathed shakily before she continued in a more subdued tone, "and she said that it was my fault that I wasn't good enough, that I shouldn't even bother trying being a ninja."

Shigure fought the urge to roll his eyes in annoyance. Judgemental kids who tried to give lessons to others - to his sweet, strong-willed angel - could get on his nerves so easily.

He put a hand at the back of Sakura's head and made her lean against the crook of his neck as he caressed her hair gently.

"Sakura-chan, listen," he started in an even voice, "I always told you and taught you that strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. As long as you keep your goals in mind, if you have a strong spirit, even this classmate of yours could never have the better of you. All your life, you will meet people out there who will try to break your will, to dominate your mind. But it's only if you let yourself be tamed and bow to their judgment that you will lose to them, and you lose yourself. However," he took off his hand of her hair and grabbed her chin to make her look into his eyes, "as you said it so well, Sakura-chan, you _are_ strong. You are strong and worthy, and as long as you keep working hard and have this unshakable determination, no one could ever put you down." He grinned, his dimples so similar to hers appearing as he watched her eyes widen in surprise. "I'm very proud of you, do not ever change, Sakura-chan."

"And in any case," a feminine voice startled them from behind Shigure, "we'll always be here to support you," Yuka added with a smile. "The most important _is_ to believe in yourself. But know that your parents also believe in you, no matter what."

Sakura lowered her eyes, shyly.

"I love you Mommy and Daddy."

Her Dad's smile was large and beautiful, full of dimples and green eyes sparkling with mirth and love as her mom's laughter was tender and pretty, "_Ow_, and so do I _my little girl_. I love you so much that I want to gobble you up!"

He pretended to eat her cheek as she burst out laughing. Her mother pretended to come to her rescue by grabbing her by the waist and holding her against her.

"I will not allow you to eat my daughter," she retaliated, mirth sparkling in her eyes. "No way!"

He delicately took a strand of her mother's pink and silky hair between his fingers and rubbed it gently as he hummed before saying in a very normal tone, "Then, can I eat you instead?" he punctuated his question with a cheeky smile.

The amusement was dancing in her father's eyes.

Sakura didn't understand why her mom's face became crimson red. She was so red, her blush extending to her neck and her cleavage.

And that was what she was talking about. Her father had never displayed such behavior or tone with her.

"She was mean," Sakura muttered. "I gave her suggestions and she didn't even bother to really discuss it with me. She was only interested in the bet she had with her friends. She said that I'm only interested in my looks and it will not get me far in my ninja career. And my pink hair wasn't suitable. She has_ silver hair!_"

Her mother cleared her throat before taking her face in her hands. "Sakura, I've always told you to be kind to people but firm with those who aren't with you. You can't blame yourself. She hasn't been kind to you from what I understand. She's the problem, not you. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself."

She kissed her forehead as her father stroked her hair tenderly. "Besides, you can wear whatever you want, make yourself as pretty as you want, she doesn't have a say in it. I think a ninja's looks and strength have nothing to do with their appearance. A girl should never shoot at another girl to make herself look good."

Then in a pensive voice, her father said, "Though...I hope you at least _punched_ her."

"Shigure!"

He winked at her mother, eyes laughing and a smirk lifting his upper lip, "I really wouldn't blame you if you did, sweetheart.

As her mother rolled her eyes, Sakura smiled softly.

And strangely, she didn't feel so bad about not punching her in the face.

"I tried, but she beat me to a pulp."

"Oh my darling," whispered her mother as she touched her cheek.

"But it doesn't matter. Because she's mean and I'm too strong mentally to let her get to me other than physically if I can't help it."

Her father's smile was as bright as the sun.

"I'm proud of you."

She really had the best family ever.

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Her father came in her room with a silver pillow.

Sakura looked at him curiously as he closed her bedroom door.

Then he asked her to teach him how to make a fist.

And Sakura laughed at the splintered laughter on the pillow that her father had named "Know-it-all-sama."

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The next day, she wore her prettiest dress with the help of her Mom.

(She was pretty sore, though)

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"Mommy, the Uchihas are pretty boys. You should have seen Renji Pretty Boy. But the chief of the police has much more charisma. He's awesome. And the Uchiha Police Station looks like a_ plush._"

**Author's note : **

**First of all, Setsuka doesn't behave like that just because she's a *cough* ! Everything has a purpose! So don't worry. There's no bashing in my story, ever. I hate bashing. I admit I've been a little worried about it.**

How's everybody doing? After months of struggling with this 50-page chapter, I'm back. I'm never going to promise you anything again. But I want you to know that even if I'm gone for six months, I'm never gonna give up on this story. Just know that I'm busy between school and my story, T.T.

(Btw, be careful! Stay at home everyone!)

The good news is that I've already planned the other chapters and written half of chapter 4 since I had to cut out that chapter again so it wouldn't be 100 pages long.

Thanks to Niina Lexy for her precious help! She encouraged me to finish it, it's thanks to her that I was able to release it today. I was writing until 5 am. Your girl didn't get discouraged, guys! Thank you so much for all your positive reviews, it makes me so happy!

I can't wait to read your feedback! And I hope I didn't make too many mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Today's class was special. It was a debriefing of yesterday's exercise.

Sakura learned that the students had different riddles revolving around the Hokage Tower, the Uchiha Police Station, the Hokage Mountain, T&I (Torture and Interrogation), the Hospital, and finally, the final riddle for everyone, the Academy.

_That's why we were asked if it was our first riddle every time, _Sakura thought. _They didn't know if we really understood the conundrum, so they wanted to know if we had the right one. At the same time, they pretended to already know it when there were at least two different riddles for one place!_

Apparently, this exercise served to give a clear idea of the functions of the village and the different sections of the ninja's profession that could be targeted. For Sakura, it was a pity that there wasn't a purely Genjutsu branch.

She wondered if it was not the Uchiha Clan that was in charge of managing that area.

_Maybe she could ask the chief of the police later?_

Her heartbeat faster at this thought and her shyness took over. Ugh, she couldn't do that.

After that, they had some free time.

Sakura was wearing her prettiest dress and she had even styled her hair differently. Instead of letting it undone, she chose to gather it up in a high ponytail and tie it with her red ribbon. She looked at her bandaged hand and squeezed it firmly.

_Take that Know-It-All-sama!_

She was sitting next to Shikamaru this day. How exciting!

She discreetly looked at him, struggling to keep in check the smile that was threatening to show on her face. Many good things had happened yesterday. Many bad things as well. But she had learned to not dwell on them and to look at the positive sides. Always. And Hatake Setsuka did not deserve her time. She had made sure that she would see her today, though. "Look at me and my pretty dress. My pretty hair, my pretty ribbon. I'm pretty and I'm strong, Miss-Know-It-All."

"So, where are your friends?" she asked curiously. They were sitting at the back of the room, looking at the Academy's students who were chatting joyously. Apparently, yesterday's exercise was the new gossip. Her classmates were talking with a rushed voice, laughing for some of them.

"Ino is sick, an…_allergy_, from what I've been told, but nothing serious. And Chôji has something to do with his clan."

Sakura tilted her head from one side. "An allergy? What's an allergy?"

She opened up her notebook, where she kept all the notes she gleaned thanks to the fifth's class lessons and waited for him to answer.

The look on Shikamaru's face when he saw the number of pages she had written was priceless. She couldn't help it; she giggled, amused. "What?"

"What's that?" he articulated almost exaggeratedly.

"My notebook."

He stared at her, his eyebrow twitching. She raised hers. Finally, he slouched on his chair, sighing.

"You're _insane._ Taking notes requires so much _effort_. You're literally writing a book!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I think you're what one would call a _drama queen_."

He gave her an unimpressed look. "That's so sweet of you. I'm moved by your kindness."

Her eyes widened. " Is it what we call _sarcasm_? Am I hearing right? "

Shikamaru pushed her face, smiling lightly. "Stop it."

She giggled, again, happy to swapping jokes with her _friend. _"So, what's an allergy?"

"Hmm."

He began to play with his pencil, twirling it between his fingers. Sakura watched the movement, almost hypnotized. "How can I put it? From what I've understood, it's when you have a bad reaction against something that's harmless."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Ufff," he sighed. "Ino had started to sneeze very loudly. Red plates had appeared on her skin and it's because she was near Akamaru, Kiba's ninken. Uchiha Sasuke was fine but not her."

She understood. "Oh! I see!"

Sakura paused.

"Are you sure she's alright?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm sure she's overreacting now, because she loves to be...a _drama queen_." He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, daring her to say anything. But she mimicked a zipper sealing her mouth with her fingers, green eyes sparkling mischievously.

That was when the Trio entered the classroom. They had disappeared just after the lesson for at least five minutes. She wondered why, though.

They went to the back, the row just next to theirs. But Sakura didn't pay any more attention to them than that. She wrote down what Shikamaru had explained to her, but she would have to do more research on it later. Maybe even stop at the Hospital and ask some questions. After all, it was one of the possible ninja careers!

Her friend folded his arms and put his head on it, ready to take a nap.

"It's so unfair that Setsuka-chan won yesterday!" Uzumaki Naruto complained, moving around in his chair. He was clearly pouting.

"You're still upset about it?" Miss-Know-it-All asked.

Shikamaru moved a little and buried a bit more his head between his arms. Sakura rubbed her nose, starting to feel a little tired. She just didn't want to hear them. It wasn't too much to ask, was it?

"Of course! I was wrong several times and Shikamaru didn't even help me! I mean, I understood the riddles, more or less, but hey, it's supposed to be a group work, dattebayo!"

He sighed loudly, almost dramatically. "I would have done so much better with you guys. And he was slower than me."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched as she listened to him and she narrowed her eyes. Well...She could perfectly well picture Shikamaru not even trying. But she didn't like the way he was talking about her friend. And if he was as mean as his best friend, it was just pejorative.

Though, she really hoped that the son of the_ Yondaime _was not like that.

Shikamaru didn't seem fazed by what he was inevitably hearing.

"You're strong, Shikamaru," she said quietly so only he could hear her. "Don't bother yourself with him."

She heard a rustle and felt him moving next to her. Part of his face was still hidden by his arm. He turned part of his face towards her, looking at her with a sharp eye.

"I know."

"It's so mean to say those kinds of things. It's not because you're slower than him that you're _weak. _Remember, Shikamaru,strength comes from indomitable will. All your life, you will meet people out there who will try to break your will, to dominate your mind. But it's only if you let yourself be tamed and bow to their judgment that you will lose to them, and you lose yourself."

She was frowning, her face displaying a fierce expression. She would not let them lower down her friend's spirit nor let him believe that he was beneath them. Never.

Sakura glanced at him. He was now facing her, saying nothing and not letting anything show on his face. His eyes, though...his eyes were _sparkling. _

"Thank you, Sakura. I didn't even feel bad about what he said right now, you know. I _really _don't care."

Relief washed through her before she felt embarrassed. Her cheeks reddened and she bit her lower lips. _So embarrassing! _

"Uh...sorry. I got carried away."

"Something happened yesterday with Hatake."

It was not a question but more of an affirmation.

"...yes."

He sighed and put his cheek on his closed fist, his elbow against the table. _Do tell_, his eyes were saying.

"I was trying to be helpful and to actually work with her. But she was always so far ahead of me and it seemed that my contribution wasn't needed. If only she was just _kind. _She's so arrogant and mean and we clearly weren't working well together. All she could think about was her _bet_. In the beginning, I was wondering if it was not my fault, because she was always so quick to understand the riddle and even though I had some ideas, they were always false. But instead of explaining to me kindly _why_, all she could do was to get all superior and act like I was an idiot."

She said it in one go, as if to get rid of a poison.

Sakura took a deep inhalation, her breathing a tad fast. Shikamaru kept looking at her and waiting for her to continue. It pleased her to know that he knew she hadn't finished talking yet.

"At the end of the exercise, I was so fed up that I just decided to follow her without any complaints. I'm ashamed of myself now...but I just wanted to finish this exercise and to go home."

"Kind of normal," he muttered, eyes narrowed.

She blinked. "Yeah...it's normal. But when we finally arrived at the Academy, I was going to go back, but…"

She put a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

"...but then I thought, I can't let her do that, you know? I couldn't leave like that and let her think that what she had done was normal."

She saw him tilting his head slightly as to encourage her to keep going. "So?"

"So, I told her I wanted to talk to her. And then we pulled away, in the forest surrounding the Academy. I expressed my feelings."

She squinted her eyes and gently grabbed his hand. "But I didn't say anything unkind. I was polite and correct."

He put his other hand on hers and briefly squeezed it. "I know you."

It warmed her heart and delighted her. They smiled at each other slightly.

"She was very upset," Sakura mumbled. "She told me that I had been useless all along and that I couldn't make any complaints to her. That I wasn't cut out for the ninja's job, because even though I excelled in the written exams, I was no good at physical exams anyway. She said that she was first in everything compared to me. And that on top of that, even with all my 'intelligence' I couldn't put it into practice in the field and that I didn't know the basic things, such as the function of the Police in the village or the facts about the Hokage."

At this point, Shikamaru's eyes were narrowed. "I saw the way she was talking to you yesterday... I didn't like it at all, but you told me not to say anything. I didn't know we had such an idiot in the same class."

He squeezed her hand a little more before gently decreasing the pressure, without letting go of her hand.

"She told me that I was only interested in my appearance and that my pink hair was too recognizable. At that moment I couldn't stand her anymore", Sakura grunted softly. "And from there, everything went downhill very quickly. I wanted to_ beat_ her attitude into _shapes_."

She summed up their fight and the spikes she had thrown at her in relation to her brother. "It had particularly annoyed her. But still, she kicked my butt, and I don't appreciate that."

"NARUTO!" Uchiha Sasuke exclaimed, startling both Shikamaru and Sakura.

Her friend turned halfway towards them, discreetly, without them really noticing it, and threw a black look at them, aiming straight at Setsuka. Sakura was sure it had nothing to do with the pseudo-fright that Uchiha Sasuke had given them.

"Shikamaru," she whispered.

He turned to her, looking really irritated.

"_Ahh_, troublesome. They're really annoying. I didn't like working with Naruto either."

"Buuut, it's true!" Uzumaki Naruto whined, throwing his arms in the air. Sakura couldn't help but turn her attention to him.

"I've been slowed down too, I'll tell you!" Uchiha Sasuke said. "I argued with Kiba and we almost got into a fight. And Yamanaka started sneezing without stopping when Kiba's ninken threw itself on her."

Sakura's eyes widened at this information.

"Ehhhhh?! You fought with Kiba? That's why you were in a bad mood yesterday, dattebayo?!"

"No, dobe! I said I didn't fight with him. I was _arguing _with him!"

"But _why?_"

"Something stupid, that's why I wasn't the first to arrive."

"You're talking, but I didn't have the best partner in the world either." Hatake Setsuka pointed out.

It was not like they were loud. Sakura was just listening more to their conversation and the rest of the class was busy chatting more to the front. But still, _what insensitivity_, _what arrogance_. She gritted her teeth and thought of the silver pillow she had at home. How she wanted to punch it!

"She was slower than me and not very discerning. I had to explain her many basics ideas, such as the Uchiha Police station (Sasuke gave her a look of surprise and she nodded as if to tell him 'Yes, man, to this point')."

"But she's the best on written exams, how could she not know about my family position?" he asked seemingly surprised.

She shrugged. "A mystery. Maybe she's cheating on the exams. Or maybe she's only memorizing what she needs to learn. Not very effective in the field in any case."

Shikamaru made a face and Sakura grabbed her friend's arm to make sure he didn't do anything impulsive - and how strange was that? He'd always been even-tempered, she'd only seen him lose his temper yesterday to Uzumaki Naruto. And... right now. It meant he would fight for his friends. She smiled softly, even though she _dared_ to say she was _cheating!_ She would never do anything so disloyal at the Academy!

"It was horrible," Miss-Know-It-All sighed. "Never again."

Just when Sakura saw that Shikamaru was about to stand up, visibly furious, Uchiha Sasuke defended her, surprisingly.

"Maybe, but you still got there first, which means your partner wasn't that weak," he remarked as he looked at her. "You might be a bit too harsh."

"The Teme's right, Setsuka-chan! You still won the bet! Other teams would've come before you if she was this slow, dattebayo!"

Surprised, Sakura glanced at them in the corner of her eyes. She saw that their friend's face was a little sullen and she didn't say anything more. She just ended up nodding without a comment.

Shikamaru had relaxed beside her.

"What a pain." he sighed.

"I didn't know you were this temperamental," she confined to him.

He looked at her with horror. "That's for girls!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, not liking this remark at all.

He looked away, wincing.

She nodded her head, satisfied with his sorry look.

"Thank you," she said softly, but with a small underlying threat oozing.

"...troublesome."

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They were sitting in the forest that was surrounding the Academy. The rest of the day was free. First-year students could choose to go home or to stay training, the Academy's training ground open.

Sakura and Shikamaru decided to stay back, in a corner of the forest, on the branch of a tree. Usually, Sakura would have taken the opportunity to go to training. But not today.

"So, that's why your hand is kind of injured?" Shikamaru asked afterwards, eyes narrowed, his shoulders tense, his jaw tightened.

She blinked, a warm in her chest. It didn't cease to amaze her how upset he could become for her. He was like her father just now, he couldn't stand seeing her being hurt...by someone. She smiled, happy. Yup! That was what she called_ friendship_. Definitely, tonight, she was going to tell her parents about Shikamaru.

She wouldn't be happy either if he was injured by someone.

"Yes. I was upset, so I hit a tree. But I'm fine. Nothing serious."

To prove it, she undone her bandage, showing him her hand. It was red and a bit swollen but, otherwise, it was more than bearable.

She saw him relax, his face losing that severity she was learning to know.

"Leave her in her egocentric delusion ( Sakura winced at those hard words. Ouch. He really reminded her of her father.) when she wakes up, it'll be a big blow to her. Or a punch from someone stronger than her."

She bursted out of laughing. "I would like to be the one who deliver this well-deserved punch!"

He snorted lightly and she sobered up quickly, sighing.

"In truth, I just hope her two friends can...clear her mind. Telling her to be less mean and more understanding."

Usually, she didn't like to talk behind someone's back. But she needed to open up to her friend, even though she had gotten a lot of her sadness out thanks to her awesome parents.

"I don't like her," she said bluntly. "But I learned thanks to her that I can't let people have power over me. I already knew it, you know? Remember what I said in the classroom?"

He nodded and quoted, " 'strength comes from an indomitable will. All your life, you will meet people out there who will try to break your will, to dominate your mind. But it's only if you let yourself be tamed and bow to their judgment that you will lose to them, and you lose yourself.' "

Sakura looked at him, flabbergasted before smiling. "You're awesome!"

Shikamaru scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Stop being a bootlicker, will you?"

She chuckled. "I said, I already knew that…" Sakura hesitated.

He didn't say anything, patient.

So, she continued, "I'm... shy. I always have been. I was often bothered when I went to play in the park, I couldn't make friends. I couldn't look at people in the eye and even now, I have trouble to do it sometimes. I'm still struggling, even though I'm making efforts on my own. I learned at that time not to be pushed around anymore."

She raised her head. She couldn't see the Hokage Mountain from here, but she imagined its magnificence, the rock that stood out in the distance, its size that seemed to almost pierce the sky, from where there was the sunset. She always felt as if she was watching a show given by Yokais every time. Her parents sometimes liked to go out with her at this time, with treats in hand to watch it set down.

'_When we talk about the Hokage, it's to the mountains that we turn to, to admire them'_

Indeed, _Setsuka,_ Sakura thought, calling her boldly by her name.

"I thought I was strong enough to manage on my own, you know? That I don't care about people's opinion, that only making my parents proud and being the best possible version of myself mattered."

"It's not easy to ignore people's opinion," Shikamaru muttered. "Don't beat yourself because of it."

She turned her head towards him, astonished. "But you're doing it so well."

He nodded. "Yes, I am. ( she made a face at him and his eyes glistened, amusement making them appear less sharp.) But when it comes to my friends, I don't have the same self-control."

"That's what I noticed," she pointed out softly. "You're loyal. That's an extraordinary quality. But blind loyalty is a bad thing, at least that's what my mother tells me."

He folded his arms behind his head and leaned against the tree bark. "What do you mean by that?"

A light wind blew at that moment, pleasantly, gently moving her pink hair and she shivered, not knowing how to really answer him.

"I guess…" she started slowly. "I guess that one shouldn't completely consider one's friends as innocent and honest and trust them."

Shikamaru frowned, almost revolted. "But, shouldn't we always trust our friends?"

"Yes...normally?"

"Our friends are our comrades."

They frowned at the same time.

"But…" Sakura began.

"...if we choose our friends well…" continued Shikamaru.

"...Then, it's not a problem anymore." she concluded.

Shikamaru sent her a lazy smile while hers was bright, her green eyes almost glistening.

"You didn't finish what you wanted to say to me," he said after a while, when the wind rose again in a gentle breeze, as they had remained silent, just enjoying each other's presence.

"Yes...She just made me realize that other people' opinions still mattered to me."

Her shoulders dropped a little. "I'm angry that I gave her any power over me. She managed to make me doubt my owns skills. And she also indirectly made me realize that I couldn't actually move forward on my own like this."

He gently grazed her shoulder with his hand, a reassuring and friendly gesture. She softly squeezed his knee for a few seconds in response, before letting go.

"Don't you steal books from the library?" he asked.

A slow smile on the rosette's face. "Yes, I do."

He moved slightly and unfolded his bent leg, positioning himself more comfortably. Now he was lying completely on the large tree trunk.

"Well, how about that? Did you get books on taijutsu?"

"Just for beginners and second years. I didn't want to go any further until I mastered both books."

"Good decision," he said in a dragging voice. "If you don't have the basics, you won't get far." A pause. "That doesn't stop you from developing your own style. My father told me that many people started with a basic, even mediocre style and learned on the field. But then, that was in wartime."

"Your father? He's the Clan Head, isn't he?"

He stretched both his legs as he lifted them, his response getting lost in the slight growl he made. Sakura burst out laughing and gave him a gentle pat on the foot, calling him 'rude'. He raised his head slightly, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Nara Shikaku, my father. He's the Jônin Commander."

She took a sudden breath, surprised, and opened her eyes, remaining motionless.

A lull in the conversation. Then, her voice vibrating with surprised:

"_Jônin Commander?_"

"It's nothing exceptional."

"_Are you kidding me?_"

She turned entirely towards him, shocked, amazed. But how couldn't she know such information? A weight descended on her shoulders once again. She really didn't know anything. She had been proud of knowing many things and was trying to glean even more, but in truth, she knew nothing_ important._ That was what she realized.

"He's my old man, so really, nothing special here. I don't care about his pos-" He straightened himself up. "You alright?"

Sakura waved her hand, smiling weakly. "Yes, I'm just realizing some things."

"Such as?"

"I'm not as knowledgeable as I thought I was."

" So what?"

"I'm trying to read as much as I can." She withdrew a little, not because she was ashamed, but because she was thinking. "Still, I don't know such basic, important things."

"I repeat: so what?"

She frowned. "So, it's a bit embarrassing."

"Sakura," he sighed and he stopped her, raising one hand when she opened her mouth. "No, just listen to me."

This surprised her so much that she closed her mouth and nodded, not uttering a single word.

"I know you're doing your best to always know everything."

"Knowledge is power. I've never noticed it as much as during yesterday's exercise," Sakura mumbled, staring at him with her deep, green eyes.

"But you can't know everything." He stood up with a sigh and sat down, cross-legged. "It's a ninja village, and some information are not known and will only ever be known by certain people. In this case, that my father is the Jônin Commander, for example."

She shivered. "It's _secret?_ So, I shouldn't know it?"

Why did he tell her in that case?

"No, it's not secret. It's just not known among civilians. I'm not surprised you didn't know it."

_Oh, that was logical._

"Like civilians who don't know the different ranks of shinobi!"

He nodded. "Yes. And the books you read don't say anything about it. That kind of information is probably in the T&I files."

"T&I? Oh! You mean the department some students have visited yesterday?"

"Yup."

"And the kind of information that are super-secret are kept in the T&I files? Information that involves…" A pause. "...other villages secrets?"

She whispered those last words, checking with an almost paranoïd face around her if there was anybody. It stressed her out just to _think_ about it.

He laughed. "Relax, no foreign ninja is going to jump on you."

Sakura grimaced a little bit. "Don't make fun of me, it's scary you know."

"That's the thrill of becoming a ninja."

She hummed. "I suppose. Are you afraid sometimes? When I decided to become a ninja, my parents told me that I could end...badly."

"Your parents?"

"Yeah. I'm a civilian as you know, so we don't really know it details what being a ninja means. But we all know how some ninjas end up: they become less than civilians. One less leg, one less arm, paralyzed for life. Even so, I'm aware of what I'm getting into."

"Yeah...there's all that...but I guess what it gets us is worth more. I hear ninjas say that all the time."

"Yeah... I don't know. I _know_ being a ninja is my calling. I know I want to become as good as the Fourth. I know that incredible adventures are waiting for me. I know the downside too. I'm _not _stupid."

She sighed. "Discrimination within civilians are hard to kill. It's like two worlds, both sides. As if Ninjas are being arrogant with civilians and civilians are being afraid or hateful towards ninjas? Still, there's a certain respect among civilians for ninjas...a respect that I don't find among ninjas for civilians, you know?"

She spread her legs. "It's a shame, because we're two sides of the same coin. Without ninjas the village collapses, without civilians the village collapses. If there are no civilians in the village, the ninjas won't have a home to protect. If there are no ninjas to defend the village, the civilians won't have a home to build."

She blew and looked at Shikamaru. "Do you understand what I mean?"

He lowered his eyes for a few seconds before raising them again. "I've never seen it that way, probably because I come from a clan. It's a pity we don't teach this way of thinking, because in the end it makes sense. On the other hand... I heard my father say that the Fourth said something similar. I think people will start to see things from that perspective more often if the Fourth approaches the subject from that angle."

He was silent. She watched him.

"You always look at people square into the eyes," he said suddenly.

Surprised by this statement, she tilted her head to the side.

He blew, looking amused. "Haven't you noticed it? I don't know anyone who does that. Sometimes it's as if you're defying people in a brazen way. Other times, it's as if you stare at them in order to make them obey you."

Eyes wide opened. "_What?"_

He frowned and looked at her more closely with his piercing eyes. "No...it's rather the strength of your personality, I think. But you look at people straight in the eye."

"That's because I was bullied."

His jaw tightened. "Yeah, you told me. It makes me upset just to think about it." He looked at her. "Are you still being bullied?" There was a dangerous edge in his voice that had become as sharp as a kunai.

She patted his knee to calm him down. "Hm...I can't really say it's bullying per se."

She told him about Ami and her friends. Shikamaru's hand was hanging, having stilled when she started to confide to him. He looked at her, the shock and astonishment written on his face.

The silence stretched long and wide, taking up all the space, strange as it was, and Sakura couldn't figure out why she was holding her breath.

He exploded. "ARE YOU STUPID?" he articulated very loudly. "WHAT. THE. HECK?"

He didn't even give her time to reply. "Please tell me you're playing a joke on me. Tell. Me. This. Is. A. JOKE."

"Now, I found you very offensive." she frowned. "I'm not stupid, thank you very much."

Shikamaru shot daggers at her. "Are you kidding me? Did you eat a jokester or something? Because it's the only _sane _explication I can come up with. Otherwise, I might think that you're going crazy."

She suddenly stood up on the tree trunk, hands on her hips, her heart pounding wildly. She knew Ami was wicked, and her friends as well. But, still, by trying to use their...their _wickedness_ to her advantage, not only did she trample on everyone who had harassed her, but she could improve her pain tolerance and her taijutsu. It was a feating revenge, one that nobody - especially them- could see coming. It was sneaky. She was throwing their strength back in their faces.

So, she really didn't understand his reaction.

"I don't see anything wrong about it. And I'm perfectly sane FYI." She narrowed her eyes at him, pupils glinting a pretty shade of green.

Determined to not let her walk on his feet it seemed, Shikamaru folded his arms. " For Shodai's sake, you didn't even understand how bad what you are doing is?"

"I'm doing nothing bad. I'm taking my revenge."

"By letting them beat you and bully you?"

Her jaw hardened. "I let them think they have the upper hand, but they don't. I'm training my body and my mind."

What was so hard to understand about that?

"Because it's _**toxic**_, Sakura. You're not doing yourself any favors. You're like…"

He stopped. Searching for his words. She waited, fists clenched, head buzzing. _Toxic_ he had said.

"...trapped in a vicious circle. You can't let them think they can beat you up like that just because you're using them. This isn't revenge. The only real revenge you can do is to send them packing and show them that you're not the same girl as before, that you're better than them. Ignore them and don't care that they exist."

Toxic.

_Toxic. _

Something inside her broke, a stubborn thread, and she sat back down, calmly. "Toxic," she repeated slowly.

He blew and put two hands on her shoulders. "Yes, it's toxic. It can make your life miserable. And who knows what else they can do? You haven't told anyone, have you? What if they corner you? Without you being able to defend yourself? This isn't revenge, Sakura. This is... this is not good."

A sorrowful look passed over his face. "I don't know how to make you understand this. You can't keep getting beaten up like this."

"And how am I going to get better?" she asked in a dull voice, no longer wishing to hold his piercing gaze. "I use them, I trample on them even if they don't know it. One day I'll become a little stronger than they are, and I'll be able to end this and to_ finally_ beat them."

"But they'll get used to your fighting style. You're helping them, too. Has it helped you do anything, this...this charade?"

She clenched her fists. Thought about it. Finally shook her head. The only reason she didn't get angry at him or feel betrayed because he rejected her form of revenge was because he was her friend. Good friends were there to set right those who started doing weird things or hurting each other.

"You think I'm hurting myself," she said abruptly, her last thought giving her a definitive grasp the meaning of what he wanted to convey.

He nodded dryly. "Yes."

She looked down at her hands, playing with her bandages.

He spoke again, in a softer voice, "From what you're telling me, it doesn't sound like revenge, Sakura. It sounds like you're running away from your problems."

She startled as if struck by lightning, and her expression became so vulnerable that Shikamaru seemed destabilize for a few seconds, his eyes wide open, his face frozen in a stupor.

"Running away?" she murmured in a low voice, standing up, again. "You think I'm a _coward_?"

She pinned him with a hard look. "Don't you dare _insult _me."

"I'm not insulting you." He was making a face.

She deflated in a few seconds. "Sorry."

He squeezed Sakura's shoulder in a reassuring manner. _'No problem.'_

She sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but…"

"...what I'm doing will hurt me more. Yeah, I…" she hesitated. "I understand."

He sat cross-legged, standing up straight. "What I'm trying to say is it's almost like a pretend sort of revenge, that you can use to placate yourself and not deal with your situation, which is, _being bullied_."

A sharp breath.

"But I'm _fine._"

"I don't know. I can't talk for you...bu-"

She interrupted him. "Really, Shikamaru, I feel _fine._" A breath. "Really fine, I'm not lying to you."

She hesitated. How could she formulate her thoughts? Her father told her that when her thoughts were organized enough, she would have no trouble saying them.

So her thoughts weren't organized enough? So she wasn't really sure what she was thinking? Was she wrong?

"Sakura, breathe," Shikamaru ordered her. "I can feel you thinking intensely. For once, don't do it anymore."

"Huh?"

"Let it out . Even if you stutter or rephrase ten times, it doesn't matter. Just let it out. Just express yourself, sometimes that's enough. And I'll understand you, don't worry. I'm not an idiot."

She dropped herself on the tree branch, surprised him and stretched out her arms wide. She didn't usually do this, her mother had taught her to have a certain attitude.

When she turned her head towards him, her eyes were as round as the dangos she liked to eat.

While she was expecting a remark from him, he said nothing. He simply observed her, his head turned towards her own.

She turned her eyes away and looked at the sky, hidden by the leaves of the tree.

"Sometimes I feel chakra in the trees of Konoha," she let out without thinking about it.

"That's not the point." Yet his voice was full of curiosity.

"I know!" she mumbled. "I'm not trying to hijack the thing. It's just a thought like that."

"And then it's not surprising," he added without paying attention to her dry voice. "It was the Shodai himself who grew them."

She widened her eyes. She already knew that. But that means she could feel the Shodai's chakra. It was so warm and reassuring. But there was also a hint of coldness and, surprisingly, it made her think of the metallic taste of blood or of a kunai. The tip of the kunai, more precisely. The Shodai was known for his gigantic power but also for his good heart.

Yet, Sakura could sense something severe in his chakra. His heart wasn't as soft as the stories pretended.

However, she might have been imagining things. She could only feel the Shodai's chakra for a few moments. It was so quiet but powerful at the same time.

"Sakura."

She blushed violently. "I'm sorry."

Boy, she never noticed how she could get lost in her own thoughts. "That's really rude of me."

"Nah, you're just like me. Your brain's going a mile an hour and you can't help but analyze everything. I get it. I look at clouds for a reason."

"Oh!"

"Yeah. It relaxes you, clear your mind."

He continued. "So?"

She closed her mouth and contemplated the leaves of the tree. "I feel good like I told you before. I don't have nightmares, I'm not afraid to go out, I'm not afraid to see Ami and her clique. They disgust me more than anything else..." she hesitated, "well, sometimes I can be annoyed, but it's more because I really don't want to see them then, you know?"

He nodded. Satisfied, she continued. "I figured since they seemed determined to ruin my life, I might as well turn it to my advantage. And since I really don't have anyone to train with..."

She didn't continue this time and shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't know how to explain herself.

"I see..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think I understand you. I don't like it though... I don't want to force you to do anything but..."

He stopped, rubbing his chin pensively, before shrugging. "Actually…. It's going to backfire, from what you've told me, they're real pests. Better nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand."

He stopped her before she could talk. "Wait a minute. Ami will think she's better than you. Not only that, but she'll think it's okay to stalk someone in a group, even if the fact that it's a group doesn't make it worse than if she did it alone."

"Are you trying to tell me she might find another target?"

Something in Sakura's gut is getting twisted. Something hard and warm. Something intense and devastating.

No.

She'd never allow her to put anyone through hell because she felt like it.

"You're right," she realized. "Even though I might not care, it doesn't mean it's the best solution. I'll find another way to train, but I can't afford to make her think what she's doing is right. That girl is cruel."

"We'll train together," Shikamaru suddenly stood up and looked up with a determined look.

She opened her eyes. "You hate all physical activities."

"That doesn't mean I don't train."

He stared at her. "And I realize I don't mind working out with you. I think we can make a good pair."

A huge smile appeared on Sakura's face. "You do?"

He looked away, as if embarrassed. "Yeah. We can start anytime you want. Maybe after the second round of exams. I'll try to see when I can get free between my... clan training and let me know when you're free too."

She got up overexcited. "Really?! Will you train with me?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sakura, stop being so excited, you're worse than Narut-hummp!"

She threw herself at him before he could finish his phrase, rubbing his head like her father sometimes did with her. "You're awesome!"

"Can you _stooooop _it?!"

.

.

.

.

Sakura was _shocked _as she looked at the results of the exams they'd taken a week ago. Shikamaru had completely_ annihilated _Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Setsuka, placing first in the exams. He got exactly the _same_ score as her.

She saw Uchiha Sasuke's frowning eyebrows and Hatake Setsuka's slightly clenched jaw from the corner of her eye. Uzumaki Naruto seemed completely uninterested in the scoreboard and waited for them at the entrance.

Looking away, she threw a stunned look at her friend.

He had taken his exams seriously. He had _done_ it. _And he had gotten the same score as her!_

"But you keep surprising me there! You've outgrown Hatake AND Uchiha," Sakura whispered.

She didn't let him talk and took a deep breath before continuing."Aren't you afraid of what the teachers will say? Didn't you tell me a while ago that they're going to wonder if you didn't cheat, and it's going to piss you off because then they're going to expect you to try harder?"

"Breathe, Sakura. Come on, we're leaving."

Akimichi Chôji had indigestion and Yamanaka Ino, after his allergy, had a bad cold according to Shikamaru. She could spend more time with her friend! Her friend, who had done something that wasn't at all like her. She frowned softly, worried.

He drove her outside and they blended in, before climbing onto the roof. They had mastered the art of not getting caught.

"Well, then, why don't you tell me?" She was really intrigued.

"Did you see the look on Setsuka's face?" he said, looking a little embarrassed, lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head.

She paused. "What?"

He muttered to himself softly. "Her face. She's third now. She didn't look happy."

Her breathing stopped. Not only had he told her this directly, without making her guess as he usually would have done, but...

"You wanted to avenge me?"

He scratched his head. "Yeah."

"Did you really want to avenge me?"

He looked annoyed. "Didn't you see the scoreboard?"

Overjoyed, she jumped on him and straddled him. "You did this for me?! That's so sweet!"

Averting his eyes, he bluntly pulled her away from him.

"Don't jump on me like that," he bellowed with his arms crossed. "That's so weird!"

"You wanted to avenge me! You wanted to teach her a lesson and you put your peace of mind at stake! I know what it cost you, considering your personality, Shikamaru! I don't even know what to tell you!"

Moved, she looked at him not knowing what to say, as he turned away to lie on his side.

He mumbled at last. "Do not say anything. She deserved it anyway and you're my friend. Friends protect each other."

_Yeah. That was friendship._

"What are you gonna do about the teachers? You're not going to be at peace now."

He hummed. "Well, not really. I didn't lie, per se. It would be more troublesome, because they'll expect me to work harder, but since I'm stubborn as a mule and I'm clearly _not_ interested, they'll let it go. My father's the leader of the Nara clan and the Jônin Commander it's not like I'm a civil genius or something."

He shook his hand. "Don't worry. I might draw a little more attention for a while, but I'll be forgotten soon."

Still touched, she still refrained from... well, from saying anything. She was content to lie next to him, quietly.

_That's one hell of friendship._

.

.

.

.

"So, sweetie, tell me more about your friend."

Sakura giggled, pressed a hand against her mouth and smiled. "He's great, Mom! He's understanding, he lets me talk and our thought processes are almost the same sometimes."

"My clever girl!" she said tenderly, holding her tightly with one arm. " ''Thought processes,' you said?"

Turning tomato red, she looked around her, her face streaked with freckles that had decided to appear since she spent too much time outdoors. _Thank you the sun. _In addition to turning bright pink if she didn't use sunscreen (she _hated_ it), she also developed a lot of freckles. Great. On the plus side, however, her skin seemed to have strengthened.

Like today, her mother had applied sunscreen while teasing her about the thousands of 'happy spots', as she called them, in her face. She still hadn't heard the end of it with her father, since he called her his 'little leopard'. In retaliation, she had threatened to bite him, as only leopards do, and had pretended to scold him. He had laughed so much that he had fallen off the couch.

Smiling at this fond memory, she gently hugged her mother back.

"I opened up to him," she said, almost whispering as if she was afraid someone would hear her. It was her secret garden. "About what had happened."

"And?"

Releasing her, her mother took her hand and they started walking, mingling with the people on Konoha's main shopping street. The chatter was reassuring, and she heard children laughing, saw men and women chuckling and joking. She really loved her village. It was lively, it was green, it was a good place to live in.

"We had a long conversation, more or less."

With bright eyes, she excitedly exclaimed. "And you know what he did? Not only was he angry for me, but on top of that, he sort of avenged me."

Her mother frowned. "Physical violence? Sakura, you can't fight fire with fire."

_But that's what being a ninja was all about, wasn't it?_ She kept that thought to herself. That wasn't the point.

"No, it wasn't. He didn't raise his hand." A pause. "Well, he did. You could say that for once he raised his hand. To reach his pen. He finally took his exams seriously and beat Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Setsuka to a pulp. He beat them in the written test, Mom! Usually I'm the only one to do it, but he did it too! He got exactly the same number of points as me."

"That's what I call intelligent use of one's potential, my daughter."

"But it's not just that, Mom. Shikamaru hates to show off. He makes a point of getting average grades so he doesn't feel any pressure. He's just lazy. It's not too much of a problem since he's the heir of the Nara clan."

She blew. "He's a real friend. He put his peace of mind on the line for me! He even offered me to train together! That's friendship, Mom, that's what friendship is."

Kissing her cheek tenderly, her mother pulled her back to her to cuddle her for a few seconds.

"I'm proud of you, my daughter. And I'm very happy with the friend you've made. He seems like a good person. Someone who's sacrificing something important to him for you, yes, I can tell he's a real friend."

Stepping back, she continued talking. "You know what I'm most proud of?"

"Naaaaaah?"

Tapping her on the tip of the nose, she said, "I'm glad you understand what he's doing and that you know the difference between a shaky friendship and a real friendship. It'll come in handy. Friends like that are for life, you know? Against tides or storms or hurricanes. Always together, always understanding, but always being the same person at core."

Sakura tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Meaning that fighting won't be exempt from the equation. But just because you fight doesn't mean you won't be friends."

"Oh! That. Yeah, we had a little fight," Sakura mumbled.

She looked surprised. "What was the fight about?"

Tensing up, she scrambled for an excuse. She couldn't, wouldn't tell her mom about Ami and her clique.

"I don't want to talk about it," she finally blurted out, couldn't find a believable lie, tight-hearted.

"It's okay, Sakura. You don't have to tell me. As long as it doesn't endanger you directly, physically or psychologically, and it's not unbearable for you, you have the right to keep your own secrets. I can't force you to confide in me."

Bowels tied, she nodded. Shoot. She was lying, half-wit. On one hand, it was as much physical violence as it was psychogenic... ...but on the other hand, she wasn't really lying because she was planning to do something about it.

And she wasn't alone.

"Okay. Don't worry about it. So, tell me, what do you want to buy for your friend?"

"A gift. Friends give gifts to each other, and I wanted to thank him, too. I'm not doing it because he did what he did, right! But I want to."

"I know a shop that sells of everything," announced her mother. It's kind of a junk shop. Since you don't know what to get him, maybe you can find your happiness there."

They walked for about ten minutes, stopping at a stand to get chocolate and banana pancakes. Her mother halted to talk to a few acquaintances, who raved endlessly about Sakura. Her mother was just proud to have such a cute and intelligent daughter (her words, not hers!) while the pinkette took on the hue of the lobsters her father brought home sometimes when a rich customer was satisfied with the work.

She loved her mother but she much preferred to hang out with her father when it was crowded. He tended to be friendly, but he didn't waste time making small talk. More importantly, he didn't seem to like the attention paid to his daughter very much either. Kind of like a grizzly bear dad. Or tiger?

"Yuka-chan, how's your rascal of a husband?" exclaimed Chiyo-baa-san. "Is he still so charming? This scoundrel has done only one good thing: giving his eyes to your daughter, that's sure!"

More than amused than exasperated, her mother replied, "What's my "rascal of a husband" done this time?"

Chiyo-baa-san made a throat sound half disdainful, half amused. "I was busy explaining to him in detail how to give his wife a good massage. And how did he thank me? By standing me up as soon as my back was turned! What an ungrateful brat!"

She laid a radiant gaze on Sakura, her brown eyes sparkling with strength. Her face was wrinkled, but the wrinkles of a bon vivant. Wrinkles of joy. Symbols of a life sparkling with vitality. Even at the age of seventy, Chiyo-baa-san seemed to irrigate with energy and a full life. Civilian, she had a deep look that Sakura found in the ninjas she met or in those of her teachers at the Academy.

That which was intriguing and spoke volumes about civilian life that was taken too lightly. Perhaps because Sakura had a kind of 'double culture' she 'understood' both sides. As far as she knew, Chiyo-baa-san had long worked outside the village of Konoha, in the Land of Fire. She cultivated the rice fields with her parents and then sold them to the Land of Fire's Capital, Edo and Konoha. She later met her husband and moved to Konoha for good, helping him run their spice shop.

Her mother's lips trembled; her eyes shone with thousand of contained laughter. "I won't forget to tell her about this, then. But I think he listened to you. He gave me a wonderful foot massage just yesterday."

The old lady burst out laughing. "See! A real brat, that one!"

She bent down, as if she were still twenty, and hugged Sakura, rubbing her cheeks. They were familiar enough with each other for that. "All those lovely freckles, whatever they tell you, you don't hide them, you keep them," she cooed, embracing her in her thin but powerful arms. "How cute you are!"

"Chiyo-baa-san," Sakura mumbled, tightening her waist in turn, mortally embarrassed as her mother's sweet laughter reached her ears.

"Next time you come and see me, I'll make you a nice little dish. Take your damn husband with you as well, Yuka-chan!"

Her father had apparently saved her from a slip and since then, she had enjoyed the Haruno family and cared deeply for them. Her parents treated her the same way. Her mother would often come over and massage her shoulders or feet and help her clean up her house when the day at the store was too hard.

It was almost fascinating, this strength of mind behind that grandmother's voice and her smell of spices. Chiyo-baa-san had known a little about the reign of Senju Tobirama, and even though she was only five years old, she clearly remembered him. She said that he looked like a big Alpha wolf, with his fur and steely character. When Sakura knew that Chiyo-baa-san knew about the Nidaime, she was so surprised that she stopped scrubbing her hair while her mother was washing her back.

"I'll tell you what I remember from my childhood under the Nidaime," the old lady added. "I can tell you that he was better than Sandaime," she whispered in her ear very softly. "But don't say anything."

Then she said aloud, "I was told you were interested and that it had something to do with your future ninja work. What a determined and serious little girl! Oh, she sure is! These days young people don't know how to behave, but maybe there's still hope with you! "

After greeting Chiyo-baa-san, her mother then led them to the small shop in question. It was a fairly large and cool store. A lot of different products were displayed on the shelves, hanging stylishly on the walls. A pleasant scent of freshness and lemon floated through the air and it was quiet. There were a few people, but it was quite empty.

"At this hour, there aren't many people," her mother told her. " Strangely enough, people tend to come here more at night."

"We'll be able to pick out a present in peace!" Sakura said cheerfully, squeezing her hand.

"That's right. Any idea what you want to give him already?"

The pinkette began to think. "I had already wondered about it. I don't know... he's very smart... something that would stimulate him mentally maybe?"

But at the same time Shikamaru didn't define himself only by his intellect... something decorative, maybe? Or something he could easily carry around everywhere? Something that wouldn't bother him?

"Like a game?" Yuka suggested.

"What kind of game?"

They walked through the store, scouring the shelves with their eyes. Sakura's gaze fell on a rectangular wooden box. It looked like it could be folded and unfolded.

"This?"

"A shogi game?"

With her interest piqued, Sakura watched the board game. But strangely, she didn't feel it was the best gift. Shikamaru would've been interested, but it was so impersonal.

"Um, I don't know... I don't feel like it's the right gift." She paused. " Maybe he'll like it, it'll entertain his mind, and I don't think he's playing that game, since he's never mentioned it to me..." She knew that if that was the case, he would have proposed her a match a long time ago. "...but... I'd like something more personal?"

"I like the way you think," kindly confessed her mother.

For about ten minutes they searched carefully for something, her mother suggesting various items and Sakura shaking her head. She even began to look at brighter, more extravagant things, just in case she stumbled upon something.

And that's when she felt it. Some kind of ripple in the air, something that almost scratched her skin. The sensation was so strange that she stood still, alert. Fortunately, her mother didn't notice her state yet. She shivered again and discreetly rubbed her _right _arm.

Sakura realized then that this strange feeling came from that direction. She turned her head to this side and looked straight ahead towards the front door. She gently narrowed her eyes. _What the heck was that?_ Something _unnatural,_ her chakra almost seemed to be telling her, and her index and middle fingers almost twitched.

That's when she understood.

_Genjutsu._

It was genjutsu. _She was sure of it_. It was genjustu!

It was genjutsu. She was sure of it. It was genjustu!

But why were people using genjutsu? It wasn't as subtle as the genjutsu that was cast on the Academy's cameras. So, she seemed to have become quite accustomed to that kind of subtlety. She spotted a genjutsu without even looking for one! These genjutsu equations and her genjutsu training at the Academy were finally paying off! In a strange way, but they were paying off!

_Should she try to neutralize it?_

Before she could even do anything, the technique of illusion suddenly vanished and Sakura almost got dizzy. Wow! She then witnessed Renji-Pretty-Boy entering the store, all dressed in uniform, and widened her eyes when she saw him. Behind him, someone else.

Feeling adventurous and suddenly very confident with her abilities, she attempted a manipulation she had never tried before. Looking for her chakra, she found it easily and grabbed it even more simply. Then, with impressive fluidity for a first attempt at something new, she concentrated it gently towards her right ear, increasing her hearing acuity.

"Well done, Kagami," she heard Renji-Pretty-Boy say, his eyebrows raised.

'Kagami' a tall boy, was harboring He had black curly hair and cat eyes of the same color. A typical Uchiha physique. He looked like Renji-Pretty-Boy, his nose being a little less thin. Her heart leapt at the sight of him, and her cheeks suddenly burst into flames. _Oulala! _

"I couldn't get you."

He laughed and added, "Damn!"

"But it was a good try," the policeman smiled. "You're making progress."

He gave him a pat on the back. "You should be a genin already."

"Yeah, well, you know Shisui."

"It's also part of the Fourth's reforms."

Sakura listened up, very interested. She subtly manipulated her chakra to increase a little more her auditory acuity before abruptly cutting off the process, the pain striking her right down to her spine.

_Too much!_

She clenched her teeth so hard that she hurt her jaw. Stiff as an iron bar, she forced herself to adopt an impassive face while the pain pulsed in her ear like a second heart.

Sakura smiled at her mother when she looked at her in wonder and pretended to be interested in books, her brain running at full throttle. _The reforms of the Fourth?_

She tried again, fine-tuning her chakra control to the maximum. It was the first time she'd ever tried something like this, but she was doing it with no trouble after her first mistake. She found the right "frequency" and tuned into it, praying she hadn't missed any important information.

Sakura leaned over, looking at the bauble in front of her, with an air of false concentration.

"...- but, hey, I'm bored in class."

"You've already skipped one class," Renji-Pretty-Boy reminded him.

A rustle. Did he shrug? She was pretty sure.

"And besides, you'll be taking your genin exams soon. You can wait a little longer. Still up for joining the police?"

"You bet I am, old man!"

"Polite, Kagami," laughed Renji-Pretty-Boy. "Polite. Or I'll throw you in the river. 'Old man' he said."

A cackling.

"First I must pass the chûnin exam with flying colors."

Oh? She grabbed an object in spikes and curves and watched it, gently caressing the wood, her ear still outstretched. Like a ninja gathering information!

"Honestly, I don't think you're gonna have any problems with that."

"Chunin exams aren't that easy, either."

"That's true, they aren't. The important thing is not to get cocky."

A pat on the shoulder, at least that's what she thought she heard.

She put it down and smiled at her mother.

"I'll look my own way, Mom."

Her mother only touched her forehead tenderly. Sakura set off in the direction of Renji-Pretty-Boy and Kagami, being careful not to get in their line of sight while examining the various articles. At this distance, she could see them better AND hear them better. Her heart was beating twice as fast and she had to control the tremor of her hands. It was just amazing, why didn't she think of doing this before?! She was practicing, but she was getting some great information! She couldn't wait to tell Shikamaru. Cheerful at the prospect of evolving as a ninja alongside her friend, Sakura came a little closer, taking a small glass ball in her hands, examining it from every angle, her ear outstretched.

"Did you work on that jutsu you told me about?"

A sigh. She saw him running his hand through his hair.

"Not yet, I'm still at the theoretical stage."

"Your brother is a genius of the _shunshin _but he developed it in wartime. You don't have to be hard on yourself."

"I know. Anyway, I'm not interested. Oh, look, Sasuke would like that."

He pointed out a kind of kunai set, not for throwing, but as a decoration. They ranged from the largest to the smallest and were finely crafted. Clearly, this shop had it all!

Renji-Pretty-Boy laughed. "This kid's got the temper of a pig!"

"You betcha! Itachi's smothering him a bit too much, too. And my brother has made it his goal in life to annoy little Sasuke in every way possible and imaginable."

She heard Renji-Pretty-Boy chuckle, again.

"Shisui finds Sasuke's reactions amusing. I mean, it's not like I don't understand it, the little one puffed up his cheeks like someone stole his favorite toy."

"I think he's matured a bit lately," Kagami said thoughtfully, looking more closely at the Kunais.

"Your brother's back from his mission, I hear?"

Sakura caught the smile in his voice.

"Yeah. Last night. I'm going to practice with him later, if you want to join us. Mikoto-sama's planned a picnic for all of us."

"I know, Fugaku-sama asked me to come, too. Maybe I'll stop by, I traded patrol time with Satoshi today."

She heard a tiny rustling sound. Kagami changed the subject.

"As for my jutsu, I was still able to fine-tune it. I hope to get more concrete results soon."

"Your impatience will play tricks on you," the older man warned.

"Shisui keeps telling me that," Kagami growled as he slid the set through his fingers.

Shunshin. Shisui. Famous for it. So this Shisui was Kagami's brother. Renji-Pretty-Boy seemed to be a close cousin?

And why did something keep tickling her brain since she heard his voice?

Wait a minute.. Yes...

His voice sounded familiar, and so did his name. She frowned. Where did she hear it? She moved a little closer to them, excited by this game she was playing, her curiosity itching.

"Sakura," called her mother softly as she approached her.

The pinkette turned pale, her heart leaping. She was afraid that they would realize that she was spying on them, however stupid the idea was, since she had been very discreet and they had never seen her before in their lives.

That is, except for Renji-Pretty-Boy and maybe he didn't remember her. He probably did not.

"I haven't found anything yet," she said a little hastily, clenching her fist on the little ball she was holding in her hand.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at her tone and leaned gently towards her, putting a strand of her hair a little clearer than hers behind her ear.

"What are you doing?" she whispered to her alone, staring at her with her eyes gorgeously dark brown.

"I'm looking for a gift for Shikamaru," Sakura replied.

Her mother gave her a quiet look, looking at her for so long that the pinkette's face turned tomato red. She couldn't lie to her mother.

"Okay," she whispered as her mother kept her eyes on her.

Her mother raised her eyebrow again and Sakura confessed everything.

"I'm trying to listen to the conversation of the two men who are a little further away," she whispered very softly. "I'm practicing."

"And how do you do that," she asked, widening her eyes slightly, pinching her cheek very gently.

Suddenly, all perky, delighted to explain her performance to her mother, she opened her mouth, before freezing.

"I'll explain to you after mama," she said, discreetly turning towards the two Uchihas who were still chatting softly. Renji-Pretty-Boy was leaning against the wall while Kagami seemed to have abandoned the kunai set, his attention turned to a small decorative tantô.

Staring at the two men in secret, her mother watched them for a few moments before turning to her daughter, the fun painted on her face, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Well, you can say you didn't choose the ugliest, my daughter. Do you like any of them?"

Sakura's eyes went wide open, Sakura became phenomenally red before literally bursting out laughing as Yuka gently put one hand over her mouth, smothering a laugh that was far quieter than her daughter's.

"Mama," she nodded, her face still red and her eyes sparkling with tears of laughter. "Really, you're keeping me from concentrating!"

It was always like that with her mother. While with her father she could more or less control herself, with her mother it was impossible. She had a sense of humor that made her laugh out loud. Her mother and father were really meant to be together.

Embarrassed by her unusual bursting, she dared to take a look around. There weren't many customers in this area, fortunately, but...

Boy.

Renji-Pretty-Boy and Kagami were watching them. Renji-Pretty-Boy had a little smile on the corner while Kagami's face was distorted by a huge smile, his eyes sparkling.

It struck her. Cute.

She blushed at this thought.

"But isn't that Sakura-kun?" the policeman asked as he approached them.

"Renji-san! "she exclaimed, almost frightened.

Oh my! What if they knew? They wouldn't. She had been very discreet.

Breathlessly, she restrained herself in-extremis to twist her hands or fix her hair. Don't show anything.

"You know my daughter?"

Renji-Pretty-Boy's black, so black eyes looked at her mother and she thought she saw a glimmer in them. But maybe she was hallucinating and the fever that took her was messing with her brain! Seriously, 'Kagami' had a look a little too... penetrating for her. Even sharper than Uchiha Sasuke!

Her heart leapt and she didn't dare stare at him for too long, panicking that he might...that he might just...Rahh, she didn't know!

Boy, her heart was beating so fast, it muffled her ears. She forced herself to just stare at the older policeman, controlling her breathing as best she could. Even Uchiha Sasuke never made her react that way!

To her astonishment, the policeman cracked a slow smile, so charming that Sakura was stunned. Her mother didn't even blink. She still wondered if it wasn't her warm face that made her see things. That smile of... of... she couldn't describe it. She didn't even understand it.

"Yes, we met some time ago. She was doing a first-year exercise at the Academy. A kind of puzzle treasure hunt," he added slowly and Sakura blinked again. Yes, she daydreamed. "Uchiha Renji and this is Uchiha Kagami."

Kagami smiled at them.

"Nice to meet you!"

"Haruno Yuka," her mother greeted them and bowed to them. "And indeed. My daughter had indeed told me about it," smiled her mother as she laid a hand on Sakura's hair. She did very well, even though she didn't have the best partner."

Her mother obviously remembered Renji-Pretty-Boy!

"What do you mean? "he asked astonished.

She's smiling softly.

"Oh, I guess it's a mood mismatch."

Sakura managed not to show anything. If she had understood well, her mother had made sure to warn him about Hatake Setsuka's more than questionable attitude while not asserting anything at all and without any aggressiveness. She had probably guessed from what Sakura had told them that Renji-Pretty-Boy knew Hatake Setsuka.

Was her mother... was she putting him on notice? She was sure her father would have been more direct. Wow. She couldn't think too much as Kagami's presence disturbed her. And why so?

And she was calling him by his first name!

_Calm down, Sakura, you're being ridiculous._

Kagami frowned. "Oh, did she?Setsuka is cooperative normally."

This irritated Sakura greatly for a reason that escaped her. She knew in a corner of her head that it was just an innocent remark, a question asked like that, it was obvious, it could be felt, but it upset her, because that girl had wronged her!

"No, she hasn't been very cooperative," she said as she addressed him for the first time, staring at him with her emerald eyes as if she was probing him. For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, she managed to calm her heart, the irritation a very good cold shower.

He froze, imperceptibly, but Sakura was looking for a reaction from him, so she could see it. His cat eyes slowly widened, his features gently shaped into a mask of almost unseizable surprise, and his mouth barely moved.

"Sakura spoke to me and my _husband_ about you," Yuka said, her voice cutting through the thick, red veil of anger in which she had become entangled.

"About me?" Renji-Pretty-Boy wondered, raising an eyebrow. At the same time, there was a switch on his attitude. He became more...Friendly? Less charming.

"Of her visit to the police station rather," she said. "She liked very much what you and the chief of police said. I think my Sakura wants to be in the police force."

She blinked when he smiled at her, a bright smile. "Did she?"

Nodding briskly, she sustained his gaze. Too _pretty,_ really.

"That sounds really interesting," she began, eager to express herself, to overcome her shyness which remained there in spite of everything. And then, she started to feel guilty about Kagami. No longer holding on to it, she looked at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be aggressive."

Almost stunned, but not seeming at all angry with her, he smiled at her. Feeling her mother's approval, Sakura refrained from expressing her pride because of it. Making her parents proud was a pleasure.

"No hard feelings, I didn't want to upset you either. Renji, I'll have to go. I'll find something else for Sasuke." He greeted her mother politely, then looked into her eyes. Even though he looked a little older than her, he was one of the tallest students at the Academy she had ever seen. "See you next time, Sakura-chan."

He seemed to follow curiously the cluster of freckles that had exploded on her face because of the time she spent under the sun. She had never loved them but had given up fighting them. It was her. Like her pink hair.

He left. She watched his silhouette move towards the exit and imperceptibly released her breath, her heart on the verge of physical rupture. Wow. That was really weird. He walked like a ninja, but it wasn't very noticeable either. He seemed like the quiet type. Not an ounce of arrogance in him either. At least he didn't show any. Then his eyes...and just that voice...and that way of talking...and he sounded smart! And _ambitious_. She liked boys with goals...wow. Then he ruined it by defending Hatake Setsuka...and he apologized. Even though he was older than her and they were both at the Academy. He knew how to admit his guilt and wasn't tangled up in unnecessary pride. He didn't seem to see her, however. More like a seven-year-old girl with a bit of a temper.

She gently released her breath. Those weird feelings were already gone. Apparently, handsome boys were a small weak spot. But let the Shodai prevent her from becoming like those hysterical girls at the Academy. She'd rather have a kunai stuck in her belly.

"So, tell me, what interested you?" Renji-Pretty-Boy smiled, pulling her out of his thoughts, his long lashes brushing against his cheekbones as he blinked.

She breathed in, a sudden buzz taking over his entire body. Apart from the unpleasant memory of Know-it-all-sama, she had just loved the whole exercise. Climbing the Hokage's Mountain, talking to Mizuki-sensei and meeting the chief of police! And the story of the Uchihas and the friendship between Uchiha Madara and the Shodai? Amazing! She was already planning to get as many books on it as possible.

"The whole concept of the police is amazing! "she exclaimed, struggling to contain her excitement, grabbing her mother's hand to restrain herself, when she was so reserved with strangers usually. "I really loved it when the chief of police - Uchiha Fugaku-sama- more or less told us about the functions of the police. I knew, as a civilian, that we had a police force, impossible to miss you in your uniforms, after all." That earned him a hearty laugh. "But I didn't know that the police were specifically about us, or what role you actually played."

Sakura paused before moving on more quietly. "The story of the Shodai and his friend Uchiha Madara was unexpected. I've been looking for books about it, but I haven't read them yet."

"It isn't, is it? " asked her mother.

"Our job?"

"No, the fact that you're the only ones with power over the police," Sakura corrected before blushing intensely. "Errr... not that it's a criticism, but..."

She left her sentence hanging and he did something unexpected. He bent down and pinched both her cheeks, chuckling. She hadn't expected such familiarity from a stranger and took a step back, stunned. Her mother, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

"I still want to do that to her."

Sakura didn't think it was very funny. She hadn't given him permission to touch her. But since she liked him in the end and he just took her by surprise, she didn't say anything. She could see that he didn't usually touch people without their permission. So he must have liked her as well.

"I always wonder how the whole organization works more specifically," she was quick to change the subject.

If it started again with a conversation about her cuteness (and that was flattering, since only a few days ago, somebody had made fun of her hair! And that her forehead was also made fun of) she was going to dig a hole with her bare hands and jump in it with both feet.

"If there is a genjutsu sector taken by the Uchihas," she added.

"Well, yes, it's in progress," Renji-Pretty-Boy told her, and she was surprised that he would give her any information. "The Yondaime has turned a lot of things upside down and established new reforms. Do you want to join the police later? "he asked afterwards.

She was stunned. "Can I? It's not just for the Uchihas?"

"Reforms!"

Mute, she looked at him with big eyes. She had never thought about it. Her, joining the police?

"I'd like to become a jônin Can I still join the police?"

He burst out laughing. "Little one, to join the police force, you must first become a chûnin Of course you can join the police force if you're a jônin! I'm a jônin."

Jônin?! He was Jônin?!

"Really?!"

"Yup. You've got time, you know, you're still a kid. For now, enjoy your childhood and don't let up on your training. Okay?" he asked; looking at her mother and then at her, "I have to go. If you see me on the street, don't hesitate to come and say hello or even stop by the police station once in a while! If you have any more questions. And besides, we always have something to eat thanks to Mikoto-sama."

"Aren't you going to buy anything?"

"I went with Kagami."

"I'd like to thank you for the work you're doing," cut her mother off with a nice smile to the policeman. "Without you, we wouldn't be as safe on the street and we won't hang out with anyone without worrying about them stabbing us. Reforms or no reforms, it's the Uchihas who've kept order so far, so thank you. And thank you in advance to the non-Uchiha newcomers."

Surprised by that statement, he didn't seem to know what to say. Neither did Sakura. She was proud of her mom. Proud that she could thank people who deserve it and don't take things for granted. Her mother always taught her that and she applied it herself. Her mom was really great !

"Err...well, you're welcome, I guess. I mean, it's normal for us. It's our job and our duty and an honor to protect civilians like you. I don't hear that very often."

He greeted them one last time and walked out of the store in turn. Sakura looked at him thoughtfully, still shocked. Her, joining the police?

And she really liked the idea. Really, really like it. She couldn't wait to tell Shikamaru!

"So, he's the famous Renji-Pretty-Boy?" her mother said, looking like innocent "Indeed, he's not ugly at all. Very pretty."

"Mother..." Sakura smiled.

"But I think it's the little Kagami you liked, heh?" she finished with a huge teasing smile.

Sakura blushed violently and was incapable to say anything. Her brain turned into... yogurt!

"I have to find a present for Shikamaru! "she squealed. " And for your information, I'm not interested in him."

"But yes, of course, my daughter, of course."

"I'm serious, mom, I really don't have time for this!"

.

.

.

.

.

In the end, she couldn't find anything she liked. Nothing was fine. Everything was too impersonal. It was almost depressing until she got the idea to make a gift herself. Her mother thought the idea was more than great, so they bought what Sakura needed, because she had a very clear idea of what she wanted to do, and finally they left the store.

As they were leaving the store street and had just entered the main shopping street, Sakura saw them. A tall man with silver hair and a girl her age, with the same extravagant hair color.

They, too, seemed to see them. The girl, Hatake Setsuka, froze and it was so unobtrusive of her that Sakura was surprised. An inhalation from her mother told her that she realized who the girl was.

The man raised his hand to beckon and hurried to meet them. He almost seemed embarrassed.

He was a tall man, with wrinkles under his black eyes and silver hair. Like Hatake Setsuka. But where hers was silky and smooth, his was more of spikes.

He wasn't Hatake Kakashi because she can see his whole face.

Who was he? Another Hatake? Her Dad? Her Uncle?

Sakura wasn't sure.

He was so tall that she had to raise her head to look at him, he smiled kindly at them, tanned skin contrasting with the silver of his hair.

Wrinkles decorated the corner of his eyes, as well as those of his mouth, a sign that he was a happy man. He possessed a silent, discreet aura. He wasn't radiant like the Fourth Hokage and didn't give off that impression of contained power like Uchiha Fugaku.

Her mother gently shook his hand and Sakura glanced at her. Yuka had a warm, polite smile on her face, her dark brown eyes gazing at the man and Hatake Setsuka.

"Hello...?"

"Hatake Sakumo," he promptly exclaimed, surely realizing that he stood in front of them without saying anything. He almost seemed embarrassed. She wondered how he could have a daughter with such a temper.

Sakura frowned softly. She knew it was ridiculous, but she felt antipathy towards him because of his offspring. No doubt about it. It was her father. The famous Hatake Sakumo.

"Nice to meet you, Hatake-san," her mother continued fluidly, her face softening..

He gently cleared his throat. He didn't seem to be good at social interaction, Sakura suddenly noticed. Or maybe it was them that made him uncomfortable. And why was that? More importantly, what did he want with them?

Her throat tightened.

It was at that very moment that she noticed Hatake Setsuka's attitude. She didn't have that arrogant look on her face. She seemed uncomfortable and her cheeks were slightly red.

Sakura almost raised her eyebrows.

Well, well...

Was she embarrassed to be in front of them with her father? Or was she embarrassed that her father knew she knew Sakura.

She pursed her lips, irritated.

"Dad..." she spoke for the first time. She had never heard her use such a tone of voice before.

He cleared his throat and his eyes suddenly became serious. Sakura noticed they were dark gray rather than black. They seemed to change color with the light of day.

"Is your daughter in my daughter's class?" her mother asked, gently tilting her head to the side, her hair shining pink in the sun.

"Apparently. Setsuka wanted to say something to your daughter, Sakura-chan."

Hatake Sakumo gave her a smile full of kindness. It wasn't fake, she could feel it. He was kind. In a way, and she'd been wrong earlier, he had a je-ne-sais-quoi from the Fourth.

That made Sakura happy. She liked Know-it-All-Sama's father.

"I think I remember," intervened her mama softly. "My daughter must have told me about a classmate with silver hair."

Sakura understood. Hatake Setsuka too, since her face became a little redder. She didn't dare look her mother in the eye.

Another attitude she'd never seen her adopt. She seemed almost ready to squirm in place. It was... satisfying. Because Sakura knew this feeling, her shyness had continually forced her to confront it, though less often today than yesterday.

Her mother must have been referring to when Hatake Setsuka made fun of her hair color.

"It's a nice coincidence, I can see that she gets her hair color from you," she added with a sweet smile to Hatake Sakumo who just blinked, lost.

His daughter seemed to want to shrivel up on the spot.

_Serves you right!_

"Just like my daughter," she finished, looking serenely into the man's gray eye. "Bright but beautiful colors. A legacy they can be proud of. After all, they were left to them by their beloved parent."

There was a glimmer in the man's eye that Sakura couldn't quite make out. Anyway, he looked back at his daughter. His eyebrows were now furrowed, displeased.

"Indeed."

Sakura looked at her mother gawking. It was... impressive. She didn't need to raise her voice, didn't need to look imposing. She just... talked. Without sounding angry. Without sounding revolted. Without sounding weak, either.

But she had made herself perfectly clear.

"Setsuka."

An irrevocable tone.

Sakura saw her clenching her fists, eyes downcast, face red. Then she raised her head and looked straight at her.

It was the first time in the entire conversation. _Keep your eyes in hers._

The pinkette tensed imperceptibly, but her mother gently shook her hand. _I'm here_, she she was saying.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in a small voice.

The man cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, and she obviously clenched her teeth. "I shouldn't have said such things to you. I had no right to criticize you like that. I won't do it again."

Sakura didn't take her eyes off her. She was obviously embarrassed by her silence. Or did it irritate her?

"I've been rude and mean," she continued, her face getting angrier. "I'm... I'm nobody to tell you that kind of thing. Just like you said."

The pinkette caught a small glimmer in her eyes. She apologized...but she didn't appreciate it. On the contrary. She seemed to dislike her. It was a glow that only Sakura could see since she felt it within herself as well.

"I also want to apologize," announced her father. "She didn't intend to be mean, but it was."

He bent over and so did his daughter. Then they straightened up. And waited.

"Sakura?" asked her mother nicely. And that's why she loved her mother. She took her opinions, her feelings into consideration. She had already seen Yume's parents apologize when their daughter was not at fault, not caring about her opinion.

Sakura continued to observe the silver-haired girl, trying to adopt a neutral expression. Oh yes, she wasn't the least bit sorry. She could feel it, it was a message that they were almost passing telepathically. But she did it out of respect for her father. And the humiliation... yeah, they'd never become friends. They weren't meant to get along.

But...

She didn't care.

She had to move on. Not think about it anymore. She apologized. Maybe it wasn't sincere, but it had humiliated her enough, on top of being beaten by Shikamaru. And that was more than enough for her. Her ego would get better, she was sure of it, but at least she had been shaken. That she didn't believe she was beyond touch.

The pinkette had wonderful parents who supported her through thick and thin, not like Yume's parents. She now had a friend whom she knew she would keep all her life - that little instinct told her so - because he had sacrificed - not quite, since he knew - his peace of mind to teach the show-off girl a lesson.

Hatake Setsuka could say what she wanted, but she had nevertheless given her a small favor: she would find a way to train more seriously with Shikamaru. Her and him. Because she was right in a way: she had to try to progress faster than that. She could join the police, a jonin told her so!

It was with a feeling of superiority...? Of indifference? Truly, did it really matter?

So, she simply nodded.

"I accept your apology." Because it wasn't weakness, but strength._ I'm stronger than you._

She looked into Hatake Sakumo's eyes and nodded.

The next time they would meet on the field. And in the near future, Sakura will have grown up, become more powerful, strengthen her friendly ties with Shikamaru, and her parents would be proud of her.

And that was enough.

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(Not to mention her flee-on-sight objective. That would happen, too. She'd make it happen.)

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It was when she was warm in bed, the materials needed to make Shikamaru's gift in front of her, that she finally remembered why Kagami looked so familiar to her.

It was that fifth year boy who always answered Iruka-sensei, questions accurately and who had indirectly given her information about military pills. 'Kagami-kun'.

( His genjutsu was less subtle than what she thought an Uchiha could produce.)

( Unless she was the one who was too good for even an Uchiha to escape detection.)

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( She liked that thought.)

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( Tomorrow, she'll have her first training session with Shikamaru! She couldn't wait!)

**Author's note: **Well, I guess I'm the kind of writer who publishes every couple of months? I hope you don't mind my rhythm. Another very long chapter, I don't know how to make short chapters apparently!

I hope you enjoyed it. If you don't like the length of the chapters, let me know!

I'm announcing that the 'introductions' are over and the action is about to begin! I hope you like what I have in store for you!

Thank you so much for your reviews! You have some very interesting analyses and I love reading them! You're the best, always so respectful and encouraging!

Next chapter: Sakura's first training with Shikamaru and not only that!

**Small ad for me because I'm shameless like that :**

For those who are interested, I posted a new fiction some time ago called "The Oak and The Reed" it's a Tenten-centric's story.

The summary : "When the fire's at my feet again, and the vultures all start circling, they're whispering 'you're out of time,' but still, I rise." Tenten didn't intend to find out about Konoha's dirtiest secrets. But she did. Her view of her village was destroyed, her faith as a Konoha ninja shaken. 'I bend but do not break' canon-divergence


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